Differences in the organization and financing of health systems may produce more or less equitable outcomes for advantaged vs disadvantaged populations. We compared treatments and outcomes of older ...high- and low-income patients across 6 countries.
To determine whether treatment patterns and outcomes for patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction differ for low- vs high-income individuals across 6 countries.
Serial cross-sectional cohort study of all adults aged 66 years or older hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction from 2013 through 2018 in the US, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Israel using population-representative administrative data.
Being in the top and bottom quintile of income within and across countries.
Thirty-day and 1-year mortality; secondary outcomes included rates of cardiac catheterization and revascularization, length of stay, and readmission rates.
We studied 289 376 patients hospitalized with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 843 046 hospitalized with non-STEMI (NSTEMI). Adjusted 30-day mortality generally was 1 to 3 percentage points lower for high-income patients. For instance, 30-day mortality among patients admitted with STEMI in the Netherlands was 10.2% for those with high income vs 13.1% for those with low income (difference, -2.8 percentage points 95% CI, -4.1 to -1.5). One-year mortality differences for STEMI were even larger than 30-day mortality, with the highest difference in Israel (16.2% vs 25.3%; difference, -9.1 percentage points 95% CI, -16.7 to -1.6). In all countries, rates of cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention were higher among high- vs low-income populations, with absolute differences ranging from 1 to 6 percentage points (eg, 73.6% vs 67.4%; difference, 6.1 percentage points 95% CI, 1.2 to 11.0 for percutaneous intervention in England for STEMI). Rates of coronary artery bypass graft surgery for patients with STEMI in low- vs high-income strata were similar but for NSTEMI were generally 1 to 2 percentage points higher among high-income patients (eg, 12.5% vs 11.0% in the US; difference, 1.5 percentage points 95% CI, 1.3 to 1.8 ). Thirty-day readmission rates generally also were 1 to 3 percentage points lower and hospital length of stay generally was 0.2 to 0.5 days shorter for high-income patients.
High-income individuals had substantially better survival and were more likely to receive lifesaving revascularization and had shorter hospital lengths of stay and fewer readmissions across almost all countries. Our results suggest that income-based disparities were present even in countries with universal health insurance and robust social safety net systems.
Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a cardioprotective neuropeptide expressing its ...receptors in the cardiovascular system. The aim of our study was to examine tissue PACAP-38 in a translational porcine MI model and plasma PACAP-38 levels in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Significantly lower PACAP-38 levels were detected in the non-ischemic region of the left ventricle (LV) in MI heart compared to the ischemic region of MI-LV and also to the Sham-operated LV in porcine MI model. In STEMI patients, plasma PACAP-38 level was significantly higher before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared to controls, and decreased after PCI. Significant negative correlation was found between plasma PACAP-38 and troponin levels. Furthermore, a significant effect was revealed between plasma PACAP-38, hypertension and HbA1c levels. This was the first study showing significant changes in cardiac tissue PACAP levels in a porcine MI model and plasma PACAP levels in STEMI patients. These results suggest that PACAP, due to its cardioprotective effects, may play a regulatory role in MI and could be a potential biomarker or drug target in MI.
We compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of young patients with myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) versus obstructive disease (myocardial infarction due ...to coronary artery disease MI-CAD) and among patients with MINOCA by sex and subtype.
Between 2008 and 2012, VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) prospectively enrolled acute myocardial infarction patients aged 18 to 55 years in 103 hospitals at a 2:1 ratio of women to men. Using an angiographically driven taxonomy, we defined patients as having MI-CAD if there was revascularization or plaque ≥50% and as having MINOCA if there was <50% obstruction or a nonplaque mechanism. Patients who did not have an angiogram or who received thrombolytics before an angiogram were excluded. Outcomes included 1- and 12-month mortality and functional (Seattle Angina Questionnaire SAQ) and psychosocial status. Of 2690 patients undergoing angiography, 2374 (88.4%) had MI-CAD, 299 (11.1%) had MINOCA, and 17 (0.6%) remained unclassified. Women had 5 times higher odds of having MINOCA than men (14.9% versus 3.5%; odds ratio: 4.84; 95% confidence interval, 3.29-7.13). MINOCA patients were more likely to be without traditional cardiac risk factors (8.7% versus 1.3%;
<0.001) but more predisposed to hypercoaguable states than MI-CAD patients (3.0% versus 1.3%;
=0.036). Women with MI-CAD were more likely than those with MINOCA to be menopausal (55.2% versus 41.2%;
<0.001) or to have a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (16.8% versus 11.0%;
=0.028). The MINOCA mechanisms varied: a nonplaque mechanism was identified for 75 patients (25.1%), and their clinical profiles and management also varied. One- and 12-month mortality with MINOCA and MI-CAD was similar (1-month: 1.1% and 1.7%
=0.43; 12-month: 0.6% and 2.3%
=0.68, respectively), as was adjusted 12-month SAQ quality of life (76.5 versus 73.5, respectively;
=0.06).
Young patients with MINOCA were more likely women, had a heterogeneous mechanistic profile, and had clinical outcomes that were comparable to those of MI-CAD patients.
URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00597922.
ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) management has evolved considerably over the past 2 decades. Little information on ...mortality trends in the most recent years is available. We assessed trends in characteristics, treatments, and outcomes for acute myocardial infarction in France between 1995 and 2015.
We used data from 5 one-month registries, conducted 5 years apart, from 1995 to 2015, including 14 423 patients with acute myocardial infarction (59% STEMI) admitted to cardiac intensive care units in metropolitan France.
From 1995 to 2015, mean age decreased from 66±14 to 63±14 years in patients with STEMI; it remained stable (68±14 years) in patients with NSTEMI, whereas diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension increased. At the acute stage, intended primary percutaneous coronary intervention increased from 12% (1995) to 76% (2015) in patients with STEMI. In patients with NSTEMI, percutaneous coronary intervention ≤72 hours from admission increased from 9% (1995) to 60% (2015). Six-month mortality consistently decreased in patients with STEMI from 17.2% in 1995 to 6.9% in 2010 and 5.3% in 2015; it decreased from 17.2% to 6.9% in 2010 and 6.3% in 2015 in patients with NSTEMI. Mortality still decreased after 2010 in patients with STEMI without reperfusion therapy, whereas no further mortality gain was found in patients with STEMI with reperfusion therapy or in patients with NSTEMI, whether or not they were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.
Over the past 20 years, 6-month mortality after acute myocardial infarction has decreased considerably for patients with STEMI and NSTEMI. Mortality figures continued to decline in patients with STEMI until 2015, whereas mortality in patients with NSTEMI appears stable since 2010.
Acute myocardial infarction (MI) can occur from increased myocardial oxygen demand and/or reduced supply in the absence of acute atherothrombotic plaque disruption; a condition called type 2 ...myocardial infarction (T2MI). As with any MI subtype, there must be clinical evidence of myocardial ischemia to make the diagnosis. This condition is increasingly diagnosed due to the increasing sensitivity of cardiac troponin assays and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term prognoses. Limited data exist defining optimal management strategies because T2MI is a heterogeneous entity with varying etiologies and triggers. Thus, these patients require individualized care. A major barrier is the absence of a uniform definition that can be operationalized with high reproducibility. This document provides a synthesis of the data about T2MI to assist clinicians' understanding of its pathobiology, when to deploy the diagnosis, and its associated treatments. It also clarifies prognosis, identifies gaps in knowledge, and provides recommendations for moving forward.
Clinical outcomes after non‐ST‐segment‐elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in patients with (symptom‐to‐door time SDT ≥ 24 h) or without (SDT < 24 h) delayed hospitalization among patients with ...or without diabetes were compared. From the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry‐National Institute of Health, a total of 4517 patients with NSTEMI who underwent new‐generation drug‐eluting stents implantation were recruited and they were classified into the diabetes mellitus (DM) and non‐DM groups. These two groups were subdivided into groups with and without delayed hospitalization. The primary clinical outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as all‐cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, repeat coronary revascularization, and stroke. The secondary clinical outcome was the occurrence of individual components of MACCE and stent thrombosis. Although after multivariable and propensity score‐adjusted analyses in the DM group, the primary and secondary clinical outcomes between the SDT < 24 h and SDT ≥ 24 h groups were similar; in the non‐DM group, all‐cause (p = 0.003 and p = 0.007, respectively) and cardiac (p = 0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively) death rates were significantly higher in the SDT ≥ 24 h group than in the SDT < 24 h group. Our results suggested that there was no significant difference in prognosis between diabetic patients with and without delayed SDT, but delayed SDT was associated with poor prognosis in nondiabetic patients.
Background Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is a potentially life-threatening acute cardiac syndrome with a clinical presentation similar to myocardial infarction and for which the natural history, ...management, and outcome remain incompletely understood. Our aim was to assess the relative short-term mortality risk of TS, ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and to identify predictors of in-hospital complications and poor prognosis in patients with TS. Methods and Results This is an observational cohort study based on the data from the SCAAR (Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry). We included all patients (n=117 720) who underwent coronary angiography in Sweden attributed to TS (N=2898 2.5%), STEMI (N=48 493 41.2%), or NSTEMI (N=66 329 56.3%) between January 2009 and February 2018. We compared patients with TS to those with NSTEMI or STEMI. The primary end point was all-cause mortality at 30 days. Secondary outcomes were acute heart failure (Killip Class ≥2) and cardiogenic shock (Killip Class 4) at the time of angiography. Patients with TS were more often women compared with patients with STEMI or NSTEMI. TS was associated with unadjusted and adjusted 30-day mortality risks lower than STEMI (adjusted hazard ratio adjHR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.48-0.76;
<0.001), but higher than NSTEMI (adjHR, 2.70; 95% CI, 2.14-3.41;
<0.001). Compared with STEMI, TS was associated with a similar risk of acute heart failure (adjHR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.91-1.76;
=0.16) but a lower risk of cardiogenic shock (adjHR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34-0.89;
=0.02). The relative 30-day mortality risk for TS versus STEMI and NSTEMI was higher for smokers than nonsmokers (adjusted
interaction STEMI=0.01 and
interaction NSTEMI=0.01). Conclusions The 30-day mortality rate in TS was higher than in NSTEMI but lower than STEMI despite a similar risk of acute heart failure in TS and STEMI. Among patients with TS, smoking was an independent predictor of mortality.
Triglyceride glucose (TyG) index is considered a new surrogate marker of insulin resistance that associated with the development of vascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ...prognostic value of TyG index in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
A total of 3181 patients with AMI were included in the analysis. Patients were stratified into 2 groups according to their TyG index levels: the TyG index <8.88 group and the TyG index ≥8.88 group. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) during a median of 33.3-month follow-up were recorded. Multivariable Cox regression models revealed that the TyG index was positively associated with all-cause death HR (95% CI): 1.51 (1.10,2.06), p = 0.010, cardiac death HR (95% CI): 1.68 (1.19,2.38), p = 0.004, revascularization HR (95% CI): 1.50 (1.16,1.94), p = 0.002, cardiac rehospitalization HR (95% CI): 1.25 (1.05,1.49), p = 0.012, and composite MACEs HR (95% CI): 1.19 (1.01,1.41), p = 0.046 in patients with AMI. The independent predictive effect of TyG index on composite MACEs was mainly reflected in the subgroups of male gender and smoker. The area under the curve (AUC) of the TyG index predicting the occurrence of MACEs in AMI patients was 0.602 95% CI 0.580,0.623; p < 0.001.
High TyG index levels appeared to be associated with an increased risk of MACEs in patients with AMI. The TyG index might be a valid predictor of cardiovascular outcomes of patients with AMI.
Retrospectively registered.
•Insulin resistance correlates significantly with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.•Triglyceride glucose index is a reliable, and valid surrogate marker of insulin resistance.•High TyG index level is associated with an increased risk of MACEs in patients with AMI.