Patients With AMI and Severely Reduced LVEF, a Well-Defined, Still Extremely Vulnerable Population (Insights from AMIS Plus Registry)

Abstract

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) represents one of the strongest predictors of both in-hospital and long-term prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Temporal trends data coming from real-world experiences focused on patients with AMI with severely reduced LVEF (i.e., <30%) are lacking. In a total of 48,543 screened patients with AMI included in the Acute Myocardial Infarction in Switzerland Plus Registry between 2005 and 2020, data on LVEF were available for 23,510 patients. Study patients were classified according to LVEF as patients with AMI with or without severely reduced LVEF (i.e., patients with LVEF <30% and ≥30%, respectively). Overall, 1,657 patients with AMI (7%) displayed severely reduced LVEF. The prevalence of severe LVEF reduction constantly decreased over the study period (from 11% to 4%, p<0.001). In the subgroup of patients with severely reduced LVEF, a significant increase in revascularization rate was observed (from 61% to 84%, p<0.001); however, in-hospital mortality did not significantly decrease and remained well above 20% over the study period (from 23% to 26%, p=0.65). At discharge, prescription of optimal cardioprotective therapy (defined as an association of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system inhibitors, β-blocker, and mineral corticoid receptor antagonist) remained low across the study period (from 17% in 2011 to 20%, p=0.96). In conclusion, patients with AMI with severely reduced LVEF remain a fragile subgroup of patients with an in-hospital mortality that did not significantly decrease and remained well above 20% over the study period. Moreover, access at discharge to optimal cardioprotective therapy remains suboptimal. Efforts are, therefore, needed to improve prognosis and access to guidelines-directed therapies in this fragile population.