Outcome comparison between left circumflex and right coronary artery-related acute inferior wall myocardial infarction

Abstract

Background: Left circumflex artery (LCx) related acute ST-segment elevation inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI) is less well-reported in literature than the right coronary artery (RCA)-related IWMI. Little is known about the outcome of patients with LCx infarct-related acute IWMI. Recently, studies have shown that LCx-related infarcts carried less favorable outcome. Materials and Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2012, data of all patients with acute IWMI, who presented to a university hospital in Saudi Arabia were reviewed, and the various in-hospital outcomes were compared. Results: A total of 90 patients comprising 63 (70%) patients in the RCA-related IWMI group and 27 (30%) in the LCx-related IWMI group were reviewed. Diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and renal impairment were more prevalent in the RCA-related infarct group. The prevalence of atrio-ventricular block (14.3% vs. 0%, P = 0.053) and the frequency of cardiogenic shock needing inotropic support (14.3% vs. 0%, P = 0.053) were higher in the RCA related infarcts. Conclusions: Our study showed that in a sample from Saudi Arabia, the in-hospital prognostic outcomes were less favorable in patients with RCA-related acute IWMI when compared to LCx-related infarcts.