Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Acute Coronary Syndrome Complicated With Cardiopulmonary Arrest (from a Japanese Multicenter Registry)

Impact of Excessive Increase in Systolic Blood Pressure after Exercise on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVE

Although the clinical outcomes for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have improved significantly, some patients still experience poor clinical outcomes. The available risk classifications focus on the short-term outcomes, and it remains important to find high-risk features among patients with STEMI. In Japan, the 200 m walk electrocardiogram (ECG) test is widely performed before discharge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the excessive increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) following a 200 m walk and the long-term clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI.

METHODS

We included 680 patients with STEMI and divided those into an excessive increase in SBP group (n = 144) and a non-excessive increase in SBP group (n = 536) according to the SBP increase after a 200 m walk ECG test. We defined an excessive increase in SBP as SBP ≥ 20 mmHg either just after or 3 min after a 200 m walk ECG test. The primary endpoint consisted of major cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, readmission for heart failure, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization.

RESULTS

The median follow-up duration was 831 days. MACE was more frequently observed in the excessive increase in SBP group (24.3%) than in the non-excessive increase in SBP group (15.1%). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that the excessive increase in SBP was significantly associated with MACE (HR 1.509, 95% CI: 1.005-2.267, p = 0.047) after controlling for multiple confounding factors.

CONCLUSION

An excessive increase in SBP after the 200 m walk ECG test was significantly associated with MACE in patients with STEMI. The 200 m walk ECG test is simple and low-cost, but may help to identify high-risk patients with STEMI.

Standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A report from multicenter percutaneous coronary intervention registry

BACKGROUND

High mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors [SMuRFs (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia)] has been reported. However, details regarding their acute presentation and reasons for the excess risk remain unclear.

METHOD

Patient-level data were extracted from a multicenter procedure-based registry (KiCS-PCI). We analyzed consecutive patients with ACS who underwent de novo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 2009 and 2020. The primary outcome of interest was the in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

Among the 10,523 patients with ACS, 7775 met the inclusion criteria. Patients without SMuRFs who underwent PCI [n = 529 (6.8 %)] were older [median 71 (IQR: 63-79) vs. 68 (59-76) years, p < 0.001] and more often presented with cardiogenic shock or cardiopulmonary arrest (14.6 % vs. 8.6 %, p < 0.001; 12.7 % vs. 5.3 %, p < 0.001, respectively). In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), median door-to-balloon time was significantly longer in SMuRF-less patients (90 min vs 82 min). In-hospital death was significantly higher in SMuRF-less patients [10.2 % vs. 4.1 %, p < 0.001, adjusted odds ratio, 1.81 (95%CI, 1.26-2.59); p = 0.001], whereas the rate of procedural complications showed no significant difference. When stratified by the ACS presentation pattern, the findings were consistent, although the association between SMuRF-less and the increased risk of in-hospital mortality was not statistically significant in patients with non-ST-elevation- (NSTE)-ACS.

CONCLUSIONS

SMuRF-less ACS patients frequently presented with cardiopulmonary arrest and/or cardiogenic shock, leading to high in-hospital mortality. When stratified by the ACS presentation pattern, the association of SMuRF-less and the increased risk of mortality was more prominent in STEMI patients and it was not statistically significant in NSTE-ACS patients. Almost half of these patients had amendable left main trunk or left anterior descending artery disease and treating clinicians should be aware of this paradox to avoid the delay in treatment.

Comparison of in-hospital outcomes of acute myocardial infarction between patients with cardiogenic shock and with cardiac arrest

In-hospital mortality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated with cardiogenic shock (CS) remains high. Also, in-hospital mortality of AMI complicated with cardiac arrest (CA) has been reported to be highest among any AMI. However, there were few reports that compared in-hospital mortality directly between AMI complicated with CS and complicated with CA. The purpose of this study was to compare in-hospital outcomes between AMI complicated with CS and complicated with CA. We retrospectively included 195 AMI patients complicated by CS or CA, and divided those into the CA group (n = 109) and the CS group (n = 86). We also subdivided the CA group into CA with persistent CS (n = 83) and CA without persistent CS (n = 26). One-third of the study population died during the index admission. In-hospital death was more frequently observed in the CA group (45.0%) than in the CS group (20.9%) (p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was highest in the CA with persistent CS group (68.7%), followed by the CS group (20.9%), and least in the CA without persistent CS group (11.5%) (p < 0.001). Favorable neurological function was more frequently observed in the CA without persistent CS group (76.9%) and the CS group (74.4%) than in the CA with persistent CS group (27.7%) (p < 0.001). In conclusion, in-hospital mortality was higher in AMI patients with CA than in those with CS. However, when we divided AMI patients with CA into those with and without persistent CS, in-hospital mortality was lowest in CA without persistent CS, followed by CS, and highest in CA with persistent CS.

Complications related to veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with acute myocardial infarction: VA-ECMO complications in AMI

BACKGROUND

Among various mechanical support devices, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) is the last resort for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients complicated with refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study was to investigate the V-A ECMO-related complications in AMI patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and to find the association between complications and in-hospital death in that population.

METHODS

We retrospectively included 101 AMI patients who received V-A ECMO and underwent PCI to the culprit lesion, and divided them into the survivor group (n=43) and the in-hospital death group (n=58). We compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes including complications between the 2 groups, and performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to find factors associated with in-hospital death and major bleeding.

RESULTS

The incidence of major bleeding including V-A ECMO site bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage was higher in the in-hospital death group (34.5%) than in the survivor group (7%) (p=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade ≤2 (OR 4.453, 95% CI1.427-13.894, p=0.010) and major bleeding (OR 4.986, 95% CI1.277-19.466, p=0.021) were significantly associated with in-hospital death. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) was significantly associated with major bleeding (OR 3.881, 95% CI 1.358-11.089, p=0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

In AMI patients who received V-A ECMO and underwent PCI, final TIMI flow grade ≤2 and major bleeding were associated with in-hospital death. OHCA was closely associated with major bleeding.

Prevalence of the Academic Research Consortium high bleeding risk criteria in patients undergoing endovascular therapy for peripheral artery disease in lower extremities

The Academic Research Consortium (ARC) recently published a definition of patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the prevalence of the ARC-HBR criteria in patients undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT) for peripheral artery disease in lower extremities has not been thoroughly investigated. This study sought to investigate the prevalence and impact of the ARC-HBR criteria in patients undergoing EVT. We analyzed 277 consecutive patients who underwent their first EVT from July 2011 to September 2019. We applied the full ARC-HBR criteria to the study population. The primary end point was a composite outcome of all-cause mortality, Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5 bleeding, and lower limb amputation within 12 months of EVT. Among the 277 patients, 193 (69.7%) met the ARC-HBR criteria. HBR patients had worse clinical outcomes compared with non-HBR patients at 12 months after EVT, including a higher incidence of the composite primary outcome (19.2% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.001) and all-cause death (7.8% vs. 0%, p = 0.007). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, presence of the ARC-HBR criteria [hazard ratio (HR) 4.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-13.80, p = 0.020], body mass index (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.27, p = 0.042), diabetes mellitus (HR 2.70, 95% CI 1.28-5.69, p = 0.009), hyperlipidemia (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21-0.80, p = 0.009), and infrapopliteal lesions (HR 3.51, 95% CI 1.63-7.56, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of the primary composite outcome. Approximately 70% of Japanese patients undergoing EVT met the ARC-HBR criteria, and its presence was strongly associated with adverse outcomes within 12 months of EVT.

Antithrombotic Strategy for Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Perspective from East Asia

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention has become the standard of care, particularly in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Current clinical guidelines recommend novel P2Y12 inhibitors (e.g., prasugrel or ticagrelor) in addition to aspirin based on the results of representative randomized controlled trials conducted predominantly in Western countries. These agents were superior to clopidogrel in reducing the composite ischemic events, with a trade-off of the increased bleeding events. However, multiple differences exist between East Asian and Western patients, especially with respect to their physique, thrombogenicity, hemorrhagic diathesis, and on-treatment platelet reactivity. Recent studies from East Asian countries (e.g., Japan or South Korea) have consistently demonstrated that use of novel P2Y12 inhibitors is associated with a higher risk of bleeding events than use of clopidogrel, despite borderline statistical difference in the incidence of composite ischemic events. Additionally, multiple studies have shown that the optimal duration of DAPT may be shorter in East Asian than Western patients. This review summarizes clinical studies of antithrombotic strategies in East Asian patients with ACS. Understanding these differences in antithrombotic strategies including DAPT and their impacts on clinical outcomes will aid in selection of the optimal tailored antithrombotic therapy for patients with ACS.

The Strategy of Management Patients with non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome

The review covers issues of epidemiology, diagnostics, management strategy, and treatment outcomes in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome. Numerous factors affecting the choice of an invasive strategy are analyzed as well as its correspondence to existing recommendations of patient’s management. The stratification of risk of development of adverse coronary events, which is a part of the formation of a treatment strategy, is discussed.

Relation of Baseline Hemoglobin Level to In-Hospital Outcomes in Patients Who Undergo Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (from a Japanese Multicenter Registry)

Scarce data exist regarding the relation between baseline hemoglobin and in-hospital outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We studied 13,010 cases of PCI in a Japanese multicenter registry from 2008 to 2016. Patients were divided into 5 groups according to 2-g/dl increments in their preprocedural hemoglobin (from <10 to >16 g/dl). Patients with lower hemoglobin levels were older and had higher proportions of females and co-morbidities, including diabetes mellitus and renal failure, than those with higher hemoglobin levels. In-hospital complications were observed more frequently in patients with lower than higher levels. After adjustment, baseline hemoglobin was inversely associated with total procedural complications (odds ratio [OR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84 to 0.90, p <0.001), in-hospital mortality (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.87, p <0.001), and bleeding complications (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.98, p = 0.007). Categorically, reverse J-shaped curvilinear correlations were present between baseline hemoglobin and in-hospital adverse outcomes. When the reference group comprised patients with a baseline hemoglobin of 12 to 14 g/dl, patients within the lowest hemoglobin levels (<10 g/dl) were at the highest risk of total procedural complications (OR 2.57, 95% CI 2.07 to 3.17, p <0.001), in-hospital mortality (OR 3.46, 95% CI 2.34 to 5.11, p <0.001), and bleeding complications (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.70 to 3.25, p <0.001). In subgroup analyses, similar trends were observed in both men and women, and in both patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable coronary artery disease. In conclusion, a low baseline hemoglobin is a simple and powerful predictor of poor outcomes in patients who undergo PCI.