Hospitalization For Acute Coronary Syndrome Research Articles

Relationship Between Marijuana Use and Hospitalization for Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: Recreational marijuana use is rising, especially among young adults. The cardiovascular (CVD) effect of marijuana remains mostly unknown.Methods: This is a retrospective study of 14,490 patients admitted to our hospital between 2012 and 2014 who had urine toxicology done for various reasons. Patients with a primary diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were queried in both the marijuana-positive group (n = 59) and the marijuana-negative group (n = 195). The risks of having ACS were compared in both groups.Results: There was no difference in the risk of having ACS between the two groups in the population < 54 years of age (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.67-1.20, p = 0.48). However, there was a significant difference in the risk of having ACS in the 18-36 age group (OR: 2.84, 95% CI: 1.14-7.07, p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis performed to adjust for the potential confounding effects of smoking and cocaine use showed that marijuana use (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.68-1.25, p = 0.65) did not increase the likelihood of ACS for patients ≤ 54 years or for those in the 37-54 age group (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.79-1.53, p = 0.50). However, among the 18-36 age bracket, marijuana use was independently associated with a higher risk of ACS (OR: 5.24, 95% CI: 1.84-16.93, p = 0.002).Conclusion: In younger patients (age 18-36 years), marijuana use is independently associated with a five-fold higher risk of ACS.

High pericoronary adipose tissue attenuation on computed tomography angiography predicts cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: post-hoc analysis from a prospective cohort study

BackgroundPericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation on coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a non-invasive biomarker for pericoronary inflammation. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of PCAT attenuation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsWe included 333 T2DM patients (mean age, 66 years; male patients, 211; mean body mass index, 25 kg/m2) who underwent clinically indicated coronary CTA and examined their CT findings, coronary artery calcium score, pericardial fat volume, stenosis (> 50% luminal narrowing), high-risk plaque features of low-attenuation plaque and/or positive remodelling and/or spotty calcification, and PCAT attenuation. We assessed PCAT attenuation in Hounsfield units (HU) of proximal 40-mm segments of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and right coronary artery (RCA). Cardiovascular events were defined as cardiac death, hospitalisation for acute coronary syndrome, late coronary revascularisation, and hospitalisation for heart failure.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 4.0 years, we observed 31 cardiovascular events. LAD-PCAT attenuation was significantly higher in patients with cardiovascular events than in those without (− 68.5 ± 6.5 HU vs − 70.8 ± 6.1 HU, p = 0.045), whereas RCA-PCAT attenuation was not (p = 0.089). High LAD-PCAT attenuation (> − 70.7 HU; median value) was significantly associated with cardiovascular events in a model that included adverse CTA findings, such as significant stenosis and/or high-risk plaque (hazard ratio; 2.69, 95% confidence interval; 1.17–0.20, p = 0.020). After adding LAD-PCAT attenuation to the adverse CTA findings, the C-statistic and global chi-square values increased significantly from 0.65 to 0.70 (p = 0.037) and 10.9–15.0 (p = 0.043), respectively.ConclusionsIn T2DM patients undergoing clinically indicated coronary CTA, high LAD-PCAT attenuation could significantly predict cardiovascular events. This suggests that assessing LAD-PCAT attenuation can help physicians identify high-risk T2DM patients.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome as Risk Factors for Acute Coronary Syndrome in Young Patients: Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample.

This study aimed to compare the odds of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients aged 18 to 40 years to patients older than 40 years with and without secondary diagnoses of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) while controlling for traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. Data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2018. The National Inpatient Sample was searched for hospitalizations of adult patients with ACS as the principal diagnosis, with and without SLE or APLS as secondary diagnoses. Age was divided categorically into 2 groups: adults aged 18 to 40 years and those older than 40 years. The primary outcome was the development of ACS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to adjust for confounders. There were 90,879,561 hospital discharges in the 2016 to 2018 database. Of those, 55,050 between the ages of 18 to 40 years and 1,966,234 aged older than 40 years were hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of ACS. Traditional CV risk factors were associated with ACS hospitalizations in both age groups. In multivariate analysis of the 18 to 40 years age group, both SLE (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.814-2.625) and APLS (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.546-3.087) were strongly associated with ACS hospitalizations. After the age of 40 years, there were no increased odds of ACS hospitalizations for SLE or APLS. In the younger population, SLE and APLS were strongly associated with ACS hospitalizations in addition to the traditional CV risk factors. In the older age group, traditional CV risk factors dominated and diluted the effect of SLE and APLS.

Early and late new-onset of atrial fibrillation in acute coronary syndromes: Their differences in mortality and cardiac event.

BackgroundIn a stressful situation like acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the occurrence of the first episode of atrial fibrillation is more frequent. The impact of the timing occurrence of AF new‐onset (nAF) in the setting of ACS is still debatable.MethodsMulticenter retrospective study based on the Acute Coronary Syndrome Portuguese National Registry, including 29 851 patients admitted for ACS between 1/10/2010 and 4/09/2019. The group with early nAF ‐ nAF in the first 48 h of hospitalization; and late nAF ‐ patients with nAF after the first 48 h of in‐hospital admission.ResultsNew‐onset AF was identified in 1067 patients, nonetheless, just 38.1% had late nAF. The group with late nAF presented more cardiovascular comorbidities and worse left ventricular ejection fraction. Late nAF patients received more anti‐arrhythmic therapy, and early nAF had a higher beta‐block prescription. Early nAF had higher rates of in‐hospital complications, on the other hand, late nAF group exhibited more mortality and readmission at one year follow‐up. Multiple logistic regression revealed that symptoms onset to the first medical contact time, admission hemoglobin <12 g/dl, right bundle branch block at admission, and diuretic therapy during the hospitalization for ACS were predictors of late nAF in ACS.ConclusionsThe ACS population could be divided by the timing of nAF occurrence into the two groups with different characteristics, therapeutic approaches, and outcomes. Late nAF patients had a worse prognosis at 1 year follow‐up, however, the early nAF group had more major adverse cardiac events during the hospitalization for ACS.

Predictive value of combining the level of fibrinogen and CHA2DS2-VASC Score for contrast-induced acute kidney injury in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

The present study aimed to investigate the value of preprocedural fibrinogen (FIB) combined with CHA2DS2-VASC scores in the risk prediction of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A total of 934 patients (mean age 63.9 ± 11.5years, and 32.1% female), who were admitted to our hospital for ACS and underwent PCI, were retrospectively enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: non-CI-AKI group (n = 787) and CI-AKI group (n = 147). Contrast-induced acute kidney injury was defined as an increase of ≥ 0.5mg/dL or ≥ 25% serum creatinine within 48-72h after PCI. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between FIB and CHA2DS2-VASC scores. Patients with high baseline FIB levels and high CHA2DS2-VASC scores had higher CI-AKI incidence. On spearman correlation analysis, FIB and CHA2DS2-VASC scores were positively correlated (R = 0.236, P < 0.001). The ROC statistical analysis showed that the combination had 63.3% sensitivity with 72.6% specificity for the development of CI-AKI (area under the curve: 0.727, 95% CI 0.697-0.755, P < 0.001). A total of 934 ACS patients were divided into low-risk group (404 cases), medium-risk group (383 cases) and high-risk group (147 cases) according to the cut-off values of FIB and CHA2DS2-VASC scores. The incidence of CI-AKI was higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk and medium-risk groups (Log-rank χ2 = 104.505, 56.647. P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that albumin (OR = 0.913, 95% CI 0.867-0.962), FIB (OR = 1.451, 95% CI 1.185-1.77), CHA2DS2-VASC score (OR = 1.271, 95% CI 1.504-1.78) were the independent risk factors of CI-AKI (p < 0.05). The preprocedural fibrinogen combined with CHA2DS2-VASC score is independently associated with the risk of CI-AKI in ACS patients treated by PCI.

Demographic analysis and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 and myocardial infarction from a tertiary care centre in south India

Funding AcknowledgementsType of funding sources: None.Back ground – COVID-19 is reported in India from March 2020. It is known to cause myocarditis , arrythmias and heart failure. COVID-19 infection has been proposed to be associated with myocardial infarction.PURPOSE–We intent to study outcomes of acute coronary syndrome associated with COVID-19 patients .METHODS– This is a single center case-control study done in an University hospital in south India , from May 2020 to October 2020 . Data of patients who came with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with COVID- 19 were collected retrospectively from the hospital database. The clinical outcomes of the these patients were compared with the patients who were admitted in the hospital for ACS without COVID -19 in the same period.RESULITS – 508 patients were admitted between May 2020 to October 2020 with ACS and out of which 58 patients were positive for COVID-19 and 450 patients were COVID-19 negative. In COVID positive group, most of the patients were above 50 years with 17 % of them being female sex. 60 % were having diabetes and 44.8 % had hypertension . 55% of them had STEMI with the rest being NSTE- ACS . 43.1 % patients were thrombolysed . 25% patients underwent revascularization either with PCI / CABG . 10.3% died in the COVID - 19 positive group , at the same time there were only 2.2 % deaths in the control group . Most the patients were asymptomatic COVID-19 at presentation . Among the symptomatic COVID-19 patients the onset of myocardial infarction after COVID-19 ranged from 9 – 90 days .CONCLUSION– Acute coronary syndrome in COVID-19 patients can present as late as 3 months after index infection, and these patients had higher mortality compared with those who did not have COVID -19 .

Uric acid associated with acute heart failure presentation in Acute Coronary Syndrome patients

We focused on the role of Uric Acid (UA) as a possible determinant of Heart Failure (HF) related issues in Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients. Main outcomes were acute HF and cardiogenic shock at admission, secondary outcomes were the use of Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) and the admission Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF). We consecutively enrolled 1269 ACS patients admitted to the cardiological Intensive Care Unit of the Niguarda and San Paolo hospitals (Milan, Italy) from June 2016 to June 2019. Median age was 68 (first-third quartile 59–77) years and males were 970 (76%). All the evaluated outcomes occurred more frequently in the hyperuricemic subjects (UA higher than 6 mg/dL for females and 7 mg/dL for males, n = 292): acute HF 35.8 vs 11.1% (p < 0.0001), cardiogenic shock 10 vs 3.1% (p < 0.0001), NIV 24.1 vs 5.1% (p < 0.0001) and lower admission LVEF (42.9±12.8 vs 49.6±9.9, p < 0.0001). By multivariable analyses, UA was confirmed to be significantly associated with all the outcomes with the following Odds Ratio (OR): acute HF OR = 1.119; 95% CI 1.019;1.229; cardiogenic shock OR = 1.157; 95% CI 1.001;1.337; NIV use OR = 1.208; 95% CI 1.078;1.354; LVEF β = -0.999; 95% CI -1.413;-0.586. We found a significant association between UA and acute HF, cardiogenic shock, NIV use and LVEF. Due to the cross-sectional nature of our study no definite answer on the direction of these relationship can be drawn and further longitudinal study on UA changes over time during an ACS hospitalization are needed.

Long-Term Outcomes for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome and Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

Short-term outcomes are worse for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with a history of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). However, long-term prognosis remains unclear. We linked administrative health databases to identify patients hospitalized with ACS (ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI], non-STEMI [NSTEMI], and unstable angina) between 2008 and 2019 in Alberta, Canada. Patients were stratified according to history of NVAF before hospitalization. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, or stroke at 3years. Cox models were constructed to estimate the association between ACS, NVAF, and outcomes. Of 54,309 ACS hospitalizations, 6,351 patients (11.7%) had a history of NVAF. Compared with patients without NVAF, patients with previous NVAF were older (75.6 ± 11.6 vs 64.9 ± 13.4years), women (35.1% vs 30.0%), had higher comorbid burden (Charlson co-morbidity index 3.0 vs 1.0), and more often presented with NSTEMI (57.5% vs 49.0%). The primary outcome occurred in 37.0% of patients with previous NVAF and 17.4% without (p <0.001). In the multivariable analysis, there was a 1.14-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09 to 1.20) higher risk of the primary outcome in patients with previous NVAF. There was a significant association with STEMI (adjusted harazard ratio [aHR] 1.24, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.36) and NSTEMI (aHR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.19) but not with unstable angina (aHR 1.04, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.22). In conclusion, in this population-based study, we identified that a history of NVAF at ACS presentation is associated with worse long-term prognosis, particularly for STEMI and NSTEMI.

РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ОЦЕНКИ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ АРТЕРИАЛЬНОГО ДАВЛЕНИЯ У ПАЦИЕНТОВ ПОСЛЕ ХОЛЕЦИСТЭКТОМИИ

Background. In view of the changes in the pathogenetic vector towards the study of comorbidity, searching for the ways of cardiovascular risk reduction is still relevant nowadays in specific subgroups of patients with moderate, unusual or undetectable risk levels (for example, in patients with accompanying acute surgical diseases of the abdominal cavity) Aim. Evaluation of arterial blood pressure indices in patients with acute calculous cholecystitis. Material and methods. The main group consisted of patients with acute calculous cholecystitis who underwent urgent cholecystectomy and were administered cardioprotective therapy (acetylsalicylic acid and atorvastatin). The first comparison group was formed from patients who underwent urgent cholecystectomy, but did not received cardioprotective therapy. The second comparison group was formed from patients who received cardioprotective therapy, but did not undergo cholecystectomy. Results and discussion. As a result of the study, the prevalence of patients with arterial hypertension (HTN) in the cohort was revealed. 72% of in-patients had elevated blood pressure (BP) on admission to the surgical department. Despite the positive results on the HTN control at the inpatient stage, the second follow-up revealed hypertensive BP profiles in most patients in the late postoperative period. The analysis of hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the late postoperative period also revealed the predominance of hypertensive blood pressure profiles in patients in all study groups. Conclusion. Development of ACS emerged in circumstances of poor HTN control.

The Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown and Socioeconomic Factors on Acute Coronary Syndrome Hospitalisations in France

The Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown and Socioeconomic Factors on Acute Coronary Syndrome Hospitalisations in France

Barriers to cardiac rehabilitation-physical activities practices: An observational descriptive study

BackgroundAcute phase cardiac rehabilitation has become integral to acute coronary syndrome hospitalization standard of care. However, its implementation may face barriers, and acute-phase cardiac rehabilitation practices among nurses in Egypt have yet to be evaluated. Aim and objectiveTo explore coronary care nurses’ acute-phase cardiac rehabilitation awareness and perceived barriers to cardiac rehabilitation practices among patients with acute coronary syndrome. DesignThis study used a descriptive observational research design. MethodsConvenience sampling was used, with the final sample including 25 nurses and 100 patients. Three self-administered tools were used to collect data: 1) a background questionnaire, including sociodemographic information; 2) activities of daily living questionnaire and an observational checklist to measure tolerance to physical activity; 3) an 18-item questionnaire to identify barriers to the practice of acute-phase cardiac rehabilitation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. ResultsOnly 54% of the patients performed activities of daily living independently. Nurses had low awareness of the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, its core components, phases, guidelines, and recommendations. Organization-related barriers ranked highest among the barriers to practice experienced by nurses (93.67 ± 13.45), followed by patient- (64.0 ± 24.73), and healthcare professional-related barriers (63.67 ± 27.83). ConclusionBarriers related to patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations were identified as the greatest hinders to acute-phase cardiac rehabilitation practices among nurses in Egypt. Frequent assessment of these barriers in different healthcare contexts is needed.

Anemia in patients with acute coronary syndrome: Epidemiological profile and impact on the prognosis

Anemia is an independent risk factor in coronary patients. We aimed to determine the relationship between hemoglobin levels and the evolution of patients admitted into the cardiology depart of Mongi Slim Hospital for acute coronary syndrome. This is a retrospective study of 300 patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (122 patients with persistent ST segment elevation and 178 without ST elevation). The patients were subdivided into 2 groups: group A (30 anemic patients) with a hemoglobin level < 11 g/dl and group B (270 patients) with a hemoglobin level > 11 g/dl. Among the 300 patients, 256 were men (85%) and 44 were women (15%). The mean age was 59.5 ± 13.5 years. The anemic subjects were older than the non-anemic: 63 ± 9.9 years versus 57 ± 11 years. The renal function was more impaired in anemic patients with a clearance of creatinine to 54.66 ml per minute versus 93.62 ml per minute in non-anemic patients. Anemic patients had more frequently signs of left ventricular heart failure (46% versus 10%). Systolic left ventricular function, however, seemed unaffected by this rate with an ejection fraction measured at 55% in both anemic and non-anemic patients. Diastolic function was more often impaired with higher left ventricular filling pressures in anemic patients (66% versus 30%). The mean length of stay was longer for patients with anemia (12.5 ± 10.1 days versus 7.9 ± 4 days). The re-hospitalization rate was also higher in these patients. Anemia at admission for acute coronary syndrome is linked to a pejorative risk. A fairly strong relationship is found between low values of hemoglobin and the evolution of patients especially in terms of clinical or latent heart failure.

Real-world management and outcomes of 7 million patients with acute coronary syndrome according to clinical research trial enrolment status: a propensity matched analysis.

We aimed to determine whether clinical outcomes and invasive care of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients participating in trials differed from those of non-participants, particularly including those who were trial eligible. We included all hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of ACS in the US National Inpatient Sample between January 2004 and September 2015, stratified by trial enrolment and eligibility using the International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision. We conducted propensity score matching to investigate the following outcomes: all-cause mortality; major bleeding; stroke; composite of mortality, stroke, and cardiac complications [major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs)]; coronary angiography (CA); and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 7091179 weighted ACS hospitalizations were analysed, including 19684 (0.3%) trial participants and 7071495 non-participants (3485514 of whom were trial eligible). Trial participants were more likely to receive CA [Δ% 28.73%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 27.22-30.24, P < 0.001] and PCI (Δ% 27.13%, 95% CI 24.86-29.41, P < 0.001), with decreased mortality (Δ% -3.51%, 95% CI -4.72 to -2.31, P < 0.001), MACCEs (Δ% -3.04%, 95% CI -4.55 to -1.53, P < 0.001), and bleeding (Δ% -0.89%, 95% CI -1.59 to -0.19, P = 0.013) compared with non-participants. After accounting for eligibility, trial participants were more likely to undergo CA (Δ% 22.78%, 95% CI 21.58-23.99, P < 0.001) and PCI (Δ% 23.95%, 95% CI 21.77-26.13, P < 0.001), and had no difference in mortality (Δ% -0.21%, 95% CI -0.65 to 0.24, P = 0.362). Among ACS patients, trial enrolment was associated with significantly greater invasive care and lower mortality than among matched non-participants. Trial participants were more likely to be invasively managed even when compared with eligible non-participants, even though there was no difference in mortality.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on heart failure hospitalizations in Japan: interrupted time series analysis.

AimsThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has had unprecedented effects on health care utilization for acute cardiovascular diseases. Although hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome decreased during the COVID‐19 pandemic, there is a paucity of data on the trends and management of heart failure (HF) cases. Furthermore, concerns have been raised that angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may increase susceptibility to COVID‐19. This study aimed to elucidate changes in HF hospitalizations from the COVID‐19 state of emergency in Japan and investigated changes in the prescription of ACEIs and ARBs, and in‐hospital mortality.Methods and resultsWe performed an interrupted time series analysis of HF hospitalizations in Japan to verify the impacts of the COVID‐19 state of emergency. Changes in the weekly volume of HF hospitalizations were taken as the primary outcome measure. Between 1 April 2018 and 4 July 2020, 109 429 HF cases required admission. After the state of emergency, an immediate decrease was observed in HF cases per week [−3.6%; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.3% to −6.7%, P = 0.03]. There was no significant change in the prescription of ACEIs or ARBs after the state of emergency (4.2%; 95% CI: −0.3% to 8.9%, P = 0.07). The COVID‐19 pandemic had no effect on in‐hospital mortality among HF patients (5.3%; 95% CI: −4.9% to 16.6%, P = 0.32).ConclusionsWe demonstrated a decline in HF hospitalizations during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Japan, with no clear evidence of a negative effect on the prescription of ACEIs and ARBs or in‐hospital mortality.

348 Uric acid is associated with acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock at presentation in acute coronary syndrome patients

Abstract Aims we focused on the role of Uric Acid (UA) as a possible determinant of Heart Failure (HF) related issues in Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients. Main outcome were acute HF and cardiogenic shock at admission, secondary outcomes were the need of Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) use and the admission Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF). Methods and results we consecutively enrolled 1269 ACS patients admitted to the cardiological Intensive Care Unit of the Niguarda and San Paolo hospitals (Milan, Italy) from June 2016 to June 2019. Hyperuricaemia was defined as a value higher than 6 mg/dl for females and 7 mg/dl for males. All the evaluated outcomes occurred more frequently in the hyperuricemic subjects (n = 292): acute HF 35.8 vs. 11.1% (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), cardiogenic shock 10 vs. 3.1% (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), NIV 24.1 vs. 5.1% (P &amp;lt; 0.0001) with lower admission LVEF (42.9 ± 12.8 vs. 49.6 ± 9.9, P &amp;lt; 0.0001). By multivariable analyses, UA was confirmed to be significantly associated with all the outcomes with the following odds ratio (OR): acute HF OR = 1.119; 95% CI: 1.019–1.229; cardiogenic shock OR = 1.157; 95% CI: 1.001–1.337; NIV use OR = 1.208; 95% CI: 1.078–1.354; LVEF β = −0.999; 95% CI: −1.413 to − 0.586. Conclusions The main result of our study was the finding of a significant association between UA and acute HF, cardiogenic shock, NIV use and LVEF. Due to the cross-sectional nature of our study no definite answer on the direction of these relationship can be drawn and further longitudinal study on UA changes over time during an ACS hospitalization are needed.

Canadian Multicenter Chronic Total Occlusion Registry: Ten-Year Follow-Up Results of Chronic Total Occlusion Revascularization.

Chronic total occlusions (CTO) occur in nearly 20% of coronary angiograms. CTO revascularization, either by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG), is infrequently performed, approximately one-third of cases. Long-term outcomes are unknown. The objective of the study was to determine whether early CTO revascularization of patients, either by CABG or PCI, was associated with improved clinical outcomes. One thousand six hundred twenty-four patients from the Canadian CTO registry were followed for at least 9.75 years. Revascularization was performed according to routine clinical practice. Patients were grouped according to CTO revascularization status (PCI or CABG of CTO vessel, CTO revasc) or no CTO revasc (medical therapy only, or PCI/CABG of non-CTO vessels only), within 3 months of initial angiogram. Patients were followed for mortality, revascularization procedures (PCI and CABG), and hospitalizations for acute coronary syndromes and heart failure. Early CTO revasc was performed in 28.2% of patients (17.5% CABG, 10.7% PCI). The CTO revasc group was younger, with more males and generally fewer comorbidities. There was a significantly lower mortality probability at 10 years in the CTO revascularization group (22.7% [95% CI, 19.0%-26.9%]) compared with the no CTO revasc group (36.6% [95% CI, 33.8%-39.5%]). At 10 years, revascularization rates (14.0% versus 22.8%) and acute coronary syndrome hospitalization rates (10.0% versus 16.6%) were significantly lower in the CTO revasc group. Baseline-adjusted analysis showed CTO revasc was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.54-0.84]). In both landmark and time varying analyses, association with lower mortality was particularly robust for CTO revascularization by CABG (hazard ratio 0.56 and 0.60, respectively), with a marginally significant result for PCI in the time varying analysis (hazard ratio 0.711 [95% CI, 0.51-0.998]). Early CTO revascularization was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality, revascularization rates, and hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome at 10 years, and mainly driven by outcomes in patients with CABG.

Diseño y justificación del estudio clínico aleatorizado BA-SCAD (bloqueadores beta y agentes antiplaquetarios en pacientes con disección arterial coronaria espontánea)

Introduction y objectivesSpontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome. Most patients are empirically treated with beta-blockers and antiplatelet drugs. The Beta-blockers and Antiplatelet agents in patients with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (BA-SCAD) is an academic, pragmatic, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint clinical trial, performed under the auspices of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, to assess the efficacy of pharmacological therapy in patients with SCAD. MethodsUsing a 2 x 2 factorial design, 600 patients will be randomized (1:1/1:1) to: a) beta-blockers (yes/no) and b) “short” (1 month) vs “prolonged” (12 months) antiplatelet therapy. Only patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction will be randomized to beta-blockers (yes/no) because patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction will receive beta-blockers according to current guidelines. Similarly, only conservatively managed patients (ie, no coronary intervention) will be randomized to the antiplatelet stratum, as patients requiring coronary interventions will receive 1-year dual antiplatelet therapy. The primary efficacy endpoint includes a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, recurrent SCAD, and unplanned hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome or heart failure at 1 year. The primary safety endpoint will be bleeding. All patients will be clinically followed up yearly. A comprehensive set of additional substudies (clinical, imaging, revascularization, biomarkers, inflammatory, immunologic, pharmacogenetics, and genetic) will be conducted to ensure a holistic view of this unique and challenging clinical entity. ConclusionsThe results of the BA-SCAD randomized clinical trial will advance our knowledge in the treatment of patients with SCAD.The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04850417).

Retrospective Analysis and Forecasted Economic Impact of a Virtual Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in a Third-Party Payer Environment.

Background: Participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recommended for all patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) following hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome or stenting. Yet, few patients participate due to the inconvenience and high cost of attending a facility-based program, factors which have been magnified during the ongoing COVID pandemic. Based on a retrospective analysis of CR utilization and cost in a third-party payer environment, we forecasted the potential clinical and economic benefits of delivering a home-based, virtual CR program, with the goal of guiding future implementation efforts to expand CR access.Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using insurance claims data from a large, third-party payer in the state of Pennsylvania. Primary diagnostic and procedural codes were used to identify patients admitted for CAD between October 1, 2016, and September 30, 2018. Rates of enrollment in facility-based CR, as well as all-cause and cardiovascular hospital readmission and associated costs, were calculated during the 12-months following discharge.Results: Only 37% of the 7,264 identified eligible insured patients enrolled in a facility-based CR program within 12 months, incurring a mean delivery cost of $2,922 per participating patient. The 12-month all-cause readmission rate among these patients was 24%, compared to 31% among patients who did not participate in CR. Furthermore, among those readmitted, CR patients were readmitted less frequently than non-CR patients within this time period. The average per-patient cost from hospital readmissions was $30,814 per annum. Based on these trends, we forecasted that adoption of virtual CR among patients who previously declined CR would result in an annual cost savings between $1 and $9 million in the third-party healthcare system from a combination of increased overall CR enrollment and fewer hospital readmissions among new HBCR participants.Conclusions: Among insured patients eligible for CR in a third-party payer environment, implementation of a home-based virtual CR program is forecasted to yield significant cost savings through a combination of increased CR participation and a consequent reduction in downstream healthcare utilization.

Impact of and Reasons for Not Performing Exercise Training After an Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Setting of an Interdisciplinary Cardiac Rehabilitation Program: Results From a Risk-Op- Acute Coronary Syndrome Ambispective Registry.

Background and Aims: Exercise training (ET) is a critical component of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), but it remains underused. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes between patients who completed ET (A-T), those who accepted ET but did not complete it (A-NT), and those who did not accept to undergo it (R-NT), and to analyze reasons for rejecting or not completing ET.Methods and Results: A unicenter ambispective observational registry study of 497 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was carried out in Barcelona, Spain, from 2016 to 2019. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality, hospitalization for ACS, or need for revascularization during follow-up. Multivariable analysis was carried out to identify variables independently associated with the primary outcome. Initially, 70% of patients accepted participating in the ET, but only 50.5% completed it. The A-T group were younger and had fewer comorbidities. Baseline characteristics in A-NT and R-NT groups were very similar. The main reason for not undergoing or completing ET was rejection (reason unknown) or work/schedule incompatibility. The median follow-up period was 31 months. Both the composite primary endpoint and mortality were significantly lower in the A-T group compared to the A-NT and R-NT (primary endpoint: 3.6% vs. 23.2% vs. 20.4%, p < 0.001, respectively; mortality: 0.8% vs. 9.1% vs. 8.2%, p < 0.001; respectively). During multivariable analysis, the only variables that remained statistically significant with the composite endpoint were ET completion, previous ACS, and anemia.Conclusion: Completion of ET after ACS was associated with improved prognosis. Only half of the patients completed the ET program, with the leading reasons for not completing it being refusal (reason unknown) and work/schedule incompatibility. These results highlight the need to focus on the needs of patients in order to guarantee that structural barriers to ET no longer exist.

OR68. The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on acute coronary syndrome hospitalizations, treatments, and outcomes: a dual-center observational study

Background and AimsSince March 2020, transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Indonesia have led to substantial decline in non-COVID-19 hospitalizations and healthcare services. We ought to determine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospitalizations, treatments, and outcomes.Methods and ResultsWe conducted a dual-center observational study in Bogor City General Hospital and Kediri General Hospital, Indonesia. We included all ACS patients between January-June 2020. Subjects were divided into two groups: pandemic period (admitted in March-June 2020) and pre-pandemic period (admitted in January-February 2020). 279 subjects were involved (107 pandemic vs 172 pre-pandemic). Monthly average ACS admissions reduced by 68.6% during pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic period. Proportion of STEMI subjects was significantly higher during pandemic compared to pre-pandemic (56.1% vs 38.4%; p = 0.004). Proportion of Killip 3-4 subjects was also significantly higher during pandemic compared to pre-pandemic (26.2% vs 14.5%; p = 0.016). However, reperfusion therapy (PCI or fibrinolytic) proportion for STEMI subjects was significantly lower during pandemic compared to pre-pandemic (16.7% vs 31.8%; p = 0.049), although there was no significant difference in onset time of ACS symptoms before hospitalization (p = 0.793). In-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher during pandemic compared to pre-pandemic (15.9% vs 8.1%; p = 0.045).ConclusionThere was a significant decline in ACS hospitalizations, increased proportion of STEMI and KILLIP 3-4 patients, and higher in-hospital mortality rate in the pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic period. Paradoxically, reperfusion therapy proportion in STEMI patients has reduced significantly during pandemic period.