Cardiovascular Disease In China - Acute Coronary Syndrome Research Articles

Characteristics, Treatment, and In-Hospital Outcomes of Older Patients With STEMI Without Standard Modifiable Risk Factors

BackgroundStrategies targeting standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs), including hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking, have been well established to prevent coronary heart disease. However, few studies have evaluated the management and outcomes of older patients without SMuRFs after myocardial infarction. ObjectivesThe authors sought to evaluate the profile of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) aged ≥75 years without SMuRFs. MethodsThis study is based on the CCC-ACS (Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome) project. Patients aged ≥75 years with a first presentation of STEMI were enrolled in this study between November 2014 and December 2019. Modified Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between SMuRF-less and in-hospital outcomes. ResultsAmong 10,775 patients with STEMI aged ≥75 years, 1,633 (15.16%) had no SMuRFs. Compared with those with SMuRF, SMuRF-less patients received less evidence-based treatment. In-hospital mortality was similar among patients with and without SMuRFs (5.44% vs 5.14%; P = 0.630). However, after adjustment for patient characteristics and treatment, being SMuRF-less was significantly associated with a reduced risk of mortality (RR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.65-0.99; P = 0.043). SMuRF-less patients also had a significantly reduced risk of in-hospital death when only adjusting for in-hospital treatment (RR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.63–0.98; P = 0.030), regardless of patient characteristics. ConclusionsApproximately 1 in 7 STEMI patients in China ≥75 years old had no SMuRFs. The similar mortality in patients with and without SMuRF can be partially explained by the inadequate in-hospital treatment of SMuRF-less patients. The quality of care for older patients without SMuRF should be improved. (CCC Project–Acture Coronary Syndrome; NCT02306616)

Thirty-day outcomes of in-hospital multi-vessel versus culprit-only revascularization strategy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with multivessel coronary disease.

Many studies have demonstrated the benefit of complete multivessel revascularization versus culprit-only intervention in patients of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary artery disease. However, only a few single-center retrospective studies were performed on small Chinese cohorts. Our study aims to demonstrate the advantage of multivessel percutaneous intervention (PCI) strategy on 30-day in-hospital outcomes to patients with STEMI and multivessel disease in larger Chinese population. From the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project, 5935 patients with STEMI and multivessel disease undergoing PCI and hospitalized for fewer than 30 days were analyzed. After 5: 1 propensity score matching, 3577 patients with culprit-only PCI and 877 with in-hospital multivessel PCI were included. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), defined as a composite of myocardial infarction, all-cause death, stent thrombosis, heart failure, and stroke. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that in-hospital multivessel PCI was associated with lower risk of 30-day MACCE (adjusted OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57-0.98, P = 0.032) than culprit-only PCI and conferred no increased risk of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, or bleeding. Subgroup analysis showed that MACCE reduction was observed more often from patients with trans-femoral access (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.15-0.74) than with trans-radial access (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.66-1.16, P for interaction = 0.017). The in-hospital multivessel PCI strategy was associated with a lower risk of 30-day MACCE than culprit-only PCI in patients with STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease.

Risk Factors for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

BackgroundIn-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is one of the most deleterious complications of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). ObjectivesWe systematically analyzed the clinical characteristics of STEMI patients with IHCA, as well as predictors and treatments associated with risk of IHCA, using a nationwide database. MethodsIn the CCC-ACS (Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome) project (2014-2019), we stratified patients presenting with STEMI within 24 hours after symptom onset according to IHCA or no IHCA during the index hospitalization. We analyzed patients’ clinical characteristics, mortality, and independent correlates of IHCA. ResultsOf 40,670 STEMI patients, 2.2% (95% CI: 2.1%-2.4%) experienced IHCA. Among IHCA patients, the in-hospital mortality was 53.0% (95% CI: 49.7%-56.3%). IHCA represents 55.0% (95% CI: 51.6%-58.4%) of inpatient deaths. Age ≥75 years, female, nonsmoker, prior diabetes mellitus, prior renal failure, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, heart rate >100 beats/min, systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg, and Killip IV were identified as predictors of IHCA. IHCA patients were less likely to receive β-blockers and ticagrelor during the first 24 hours after first medical contact and were less likely to undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention. After adjustment, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (adjusted HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.71-0.95), β-blockers (adjusted HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.47-0.86), and ticagrelor (adjusted HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.42-0.76) were associated with a reduced risk of IHCA. ConclusionsIHCA is rare in STEMI but is associated with high mortality. Multiple modifiable and unmodifiable factors are associated with its occurrence, suggesting that early intervention and rational drug treatment may improve its prognosis. (CCC Project- Acute Coronary Syndrome; NCT02306616)

Pre-hospital delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction in China: findings from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project.

OBJECTIVETo describe the duration of the pre-hospital delay time and identify factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in China.METHODSData were collected from November 2014 to December 2019 as part of the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project. A total of 33,386 patients with AMI admitted to the index hospitals were included in this study. Two-level logistic regression was conducted to explore the factors associated with the pre-hospital delay and the associations between different pre-hospital delay and in-hospital outcomes.RESULTSOf the 33,386 patients with AMI, 70.7% of patients arrived at hospital ≥ 2 h after symptom onset. Old age, female, rural medical insurance, symptom onset at early dawn, and non-use of an ambulance predicted a prolonged pre-hospital delay (all P < 0.05). Hypertension and heart failure at admission were only significant in predicting a longer delay in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (all P < 0.05). A pre-hospital delay of ≥ 2 h was associated with an increased risk of mortality [odds ratio (OR) = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.09–1.69, P = 0.006] and major adverse cardiovascular events (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.02–1.47, P = 0.033) in patients with STEMI compared with a pre-hospital delay of < 2 h. CONCLUSIONSProlonged pre-hospital delay is associated with adverse in-hospital outcomes in patients with STEMI in China. Our study identifies that patient characteristics, symptom onset time, and type of transportation are associated with pre-hospital delay time, and provides focuses for quality improvement.

A Risk Stratification Scheme for In-Hospital Cardiogenic Shock in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

ObjectiveCardiogenic shock (CS) is the leading cause of death in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) despite advances in care. This study aims to derive and validate a risk score for in-hospital development of CS in patients with AMI.MethodsIn this study, we used the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China–Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC–ACS) registry of 76,807 patients for model development and internal validation. These patients came from 158 tertiary hospitals and 82 secondary hospitals between 2014 and 2019, presenting AMI without CS upon admission. The eligible patients with AMI were randomly assigned to derivation (n = 53,790) and internal validation (n = 23,017) cohorts. Another cohort of 2,205 patients with AMI between 2014 and 2016 was used for external validation. Based on the identified predictors for in-hospital CS, a new point-based CS risk scheme, referred to as the CCC–ACS CS score, was developed and validated.ResultsA total of 866 (1.1%) and 39 (1.8%) patients subsequently developed in-hospital CS in the CCC–ACS project and external validation cohort, respectively. The CCC–ACS CS score consists of seven variables, including age, acute heart failure upon admission, systolic blood pressure upon admission, heart rate, initial serum creatine kinase-MB level, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and mechanical complications. The area under the curve for in-hospital development of CS was 0.73, 0.71, and 0.85 in the derivation, internal validation and external validation cohorts, respectively.ConclusionThis newly developed CCC–ACS CS score can quantify the risk of in-hospital CS for patients with AMI, which may help in clinical decision making.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02306616.

Abstract 10840: Direct Admission versus Inter-Hospital Transfer of Hospitalized Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction in China: Findings from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome Project

Introduction: Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred reperfusion strategy for AMI, a substantial proportion of patients initially arrive at non-PCI hospitals. The impact of direct admission to a PCI-capable hospital and inter-hospital transfer on prognosis of AMI with relatively long ischemia time in real-world practice is still debated. We aimed to compare the in-hospital outcomes associated with direct admission versus inter-hospital transfer of hospitalized patients with AMI in China. Methods: From November 2014 to December 2019, 94,623 patients with AMI were enrolled from 159 tertiary hospitals and 82 secondary hospitals in 30 provinces in China in the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) Project. Patients were divided into those directly admitted or inter-hospital transferred to a PCI hospital. Associations of direct admission versus inter-hospital transfer with in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were examined by multivariable Cox regression, propensity score matching (PSM), and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis. Results: Among the 94,623 patients, 53,653 (56.7%) were directly admitted to PCI hospitals, and 40,970 (43.3%) were inter-hospital transferred. Compared with inter-hospital transfer, direct admission was associated with a shorter time from symptom onset to reperfusion (6.0h vs.9.8h for STEMI and 54.4h vs.83.3h for NSTEMI), and higher rates of reperfusion for STEMI (63.4% vs. 50.7%) and timely PCI for NSTEMI (41.1% vs. 34.7%). No significant associations were found between direct admission relative to inter-hospital transfer and the risk of in-hospital MACE in Cox regression (HRs [95%CIs] were 1.17 [0.95-1.42] for STEMI and 0.81 [0.55-1.19] for NSTEMI), in PSM (1.17 [0.94-1.45] for STEMI and 0.79 [0.49-1.27] for NSTEMI), and in IPTW analysis (1.22 [0.95-1.58] for STEMI and 0.87 [0.55-1.37] for NSTEMI). Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the risk of in-hospital MACE between directly admitted and transferred patients with AMI in China. Therefore, when direct admission is not feasible, timely transfer to PCI-capable hospitals maybe an alternative in real-world practice.

Post-procedure anticoagulation in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract Background Post-procedural anticoagulation (PPAC) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) may prevent recurrent ischemic events but may increase the risk of bleeding. No consensus has been reached on PPAC use. Methods Using data from the CCC-ACS registry, conducted between 2014 and 2019, we stratified all STEMI patients who underwent pPCI according to the use of PPAC or not. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and Cox proportional hazards model with hospital as random effect were used to analyze differences in in-hospital clinical outcomes: the primary efficacy endpoint was mortality, and the primary safety endpoint was major bleeding. Results Of 34,826 evaluable patients 26,272 (75.4%) were treated with PPAC, and were on average younger, more stable at admission with lower bleeding risk score, more likely to have comorbidities and multivessel disease, and more often treated within 12 hours of symptom onset than those without PPAC. After IPTW adjustment for baseline differences, PPAC was associated with significantly reduced risk of in-hospital mortality (0.9% vs. 1.8%; hazard ratio (HR): 0.62 [95% confidence interval 0.43, 0.89]; p&amp;lt;0.001) and a nonsignificant difference in risk of in-hospital major bleeding (2.5% vs. 2.2%; HR: 1.05 [0.83, 1.32]; p=0.14). Conclusions PPAC in STEMI patients after pPCI was associated with reduced mortality without increasing major bleeding complications. Dedicated randomized trials with contemporary STEMI management are needed to confirm these findings. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): The Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China – Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project is a collaborative study of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Chinese Society of Cardiology (CSC). The AHA has been funded by Pfizer and AstraZeneca for quality improvement initiatives through an independent grant. In-hospital clinical outcomes

The association between atrial fibrillation and in-hospital outcomes in chronic kidney disease patients with acute coronary syndrome: findings from the improving care for cardiovascular disease in China-acute coronary syndrome (CCC-ACS) project

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed to explore the frequency and impact of AF on clinical outcomes in CKD patients with ACS.MethodsCKD inpatients with ACS between November 2014 and December 2018 were included based on the improving care for cardiovascular disease in China-ACS (CCC-ACS) project. Included patients were divided into an AF group and a non-AF group according to the discharge diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders.ResultsA total of 16,533 CKD patients with ACS were included. A total of 1418 (8.6%) patients had clinically recognized AF during hospitalization, 654 of whom had an eGFR of 45 to < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, and 764 had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 45 ml/min/1.73 m2. Compared with the non-AF group, the AF group had a higher risk of in-hospital mortality [OR 1.250; 95% CI (1.001–1.560), P = 0.049] and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) [OR 1.361; 95% CI (1.197–1.547), P < 0.001]. We also found that compared with patients with eGFR 45 to < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, patients with eGFR < 45 ml/min/1.73 m2 had a 1.512-fold increased risk of mortality and a 1.435-fold increased risk of MACEs.ConclusionsAF was a risk factor affecting the short-term prognosis of ACS patients in the CKD population. Furthermore, the lower the eGFR, the higher the risk of in-hospital mortality and MACEs in CKD patients with ACS.Trial registry: Clinicaltrial.gov, NCT02306616. Registered 29 November 2014, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02306616?term=NCT02306616&draw=2&rank=1

A risk score to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome at early medical contact: results from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) Project

BackgroundA number of models have been built to evaluate risk in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, accurate prediction of mortality at early medical contact is difficult. This study sought to develop and validate a risk score to predict in-hospital mortality among patients with ACS using variables available at early medical contact.MethodsA total of 62,546 unselected ACS patients from 150 tertiary hospitals who were admitted between 2014 and 2017 and enrolled in the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project, were randomly assigned (at a ratio of 7:3) to a training dataset (n=43,774) and a validation dataset (n=18,772). Based on the identified predictors which were available prior to any blood test, a new point-based risk score for in-hospital death, CCC-ACS score, was derived and validated. The CCC-ACS score was then compared with Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score.ResultsThe in-hospital mortality rate was 1.9% in both the training and validation datasets. The CCC-ACS score, a new point-based risk score, was developed to predict in-hospital mortality using 7 variables that were available before any blood test including age, systolic blood pressure, cardiac arrest, insulin-treated diabetes mellitus, history of heart failure, severe clinical conditions (acute heart failure or cardiogenic shock), and electrocardiographic ST-segment deviation. This new risk score had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84 (P=0.10 for Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test) in the training dataset and 0.85 (P=0.13 for Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test) in the validation dataset. The CCC-ACS score was comparable to the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score in the prediction of in-hospital death in the validation dataset.ConclusionsThe newly developed CCC-ACS score, which utilizes factors that are acquirable at early medical contact, may be able to stratify the risk of in-hospital death in patients with ACS.Clinical trial registrationURL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02306616.

Admission fasting plasma glucose is associated with in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome and diabetes: findings from the improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China - Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project

BackgroundThe discrepancy between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in clinical practice may be related to factors such as acute stress, renal dysfunction, and anemia, and its relationship with in-hospital outcomes is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the type of discrepancy between HbA1c and FPG and in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and diabetes.MethodsThe Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China - Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project is a national, hospital-based quality improvement project with an ongoing database. Patients with ACS, diabetes and complete HbA1c and FPG values at admission were included. The consistent group included patients with HbA1c < 6.5% and FPG < 7.0 mmol/L or HbA1c ≥ 6.5% and FPG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L. The discrepancy group included patients with HbA1c ≥ 6.5% and FPG < 7.0 mmol/L (increased HbA1c group) or HbA1c < 6.5% and FPG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (increased FBG group).ResultsA total of 7762 patients were included in this study. The numbers of patients in the consistent and discrepancy groups were 5490 and 2272 respectively. In the discrepancy group, increased HbA1c accounted for 77.5% of discrepancies, and increased FPG accounted for 22.5% of discrepancies. After adjusting for confounders, patients in the increased FPG group had a 1.6-fold increased risk of heart failure (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.08–2.44), a 1.6-fold increased risk of composite cardiovascular death and heart failure (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.09–2.43), and a 1.6-fold increased risk of composite major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) and heart failure (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.08–2.24) compared to patients in the increased HbA1c group.ConclusionsPatients with an increased FPG but normal HbA1c had a higher risk of in-hospital adverse outcomes than those with increased HbA1c but normal FPG. This result may indicate that when HbA1c and FPG are inconsistent in patients with ACS and diabetes, the increased FPG that may be caused by stress hyperglycemia may have a more substantial adverse effect than increased HbA1c, which may be caused by chronic hyperglycemia. These high-risk patients should be given more attention and closer monitoring in clinical practice.Trial registryClinicaltrial.gov, NCT02306616. Registered 29 November 2014.

Analysis of situation of acute coronary syndrome based on the date of the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China–Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project: single-centre observational study

BackgroundWe are currently faced with an increasing burden of cardiovascular disease in China and the inadequacy of the application of guidelines in clinical practice. In the past decade, China has...

Chest Pain Center Accreditation Is Associated With Improved In-Hospital Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients in China: Findings From the CCC-ACS Project.

BackgroundChest pain center (CPC) accreditation plays an important role in the management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, no evidence shows whether the outcomes of AMI patients are improved with CPC accreditation in China.Methods and ResultsThis retrospective analysis is based on a predesigned nationwide registry, CCC‐ACS (Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China‐Acute Coronary Syndrome). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including all‐cause death, reinfarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, and heart failure. A total of 15 344 AMI patients, from 40 CPC‐accredited hospitals, were enrolled, including 7544 admitted before and 7800 after accreditation. In propensity score matching, 6700 patients in each group were matched. The incidence of 7‐day MACE (6.7% versus 8.0%; P=0.003) and all‐cause death (1.1% versus 1.6%; P=0.021) was lower after accreditation. In multivariate adjusted mixed‐effects Cox proportional hazards models, CPC accreditation was associated with significantly decreased risk of MACE (hazard ratio: 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68–0.91) and all‐cause death (hazard ratio: 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51–0.99). The risk of MACE and all‐cause death both followed a reverse J‐shaped trend: the risk of MACE and all‐cause death decreased gradually after achieving CPC accreditation, with minimal risk occurring in the first year, but increased in the second year and after.ConclusionsBased on a large‐scale national registry data set, CPC accreditation was associated with better in‐hospital outcomes for AMI patients. However, the benefits seemed to attenuate over time, and reaccreditation may be essential for maintaining AMI care quality and outcomes.

Goals of non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol need to be adjusted in Chinese acute coronary syndrome patients: Findings from the CCC-ACS project

BackgroundGuidelines recommended non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) as a co-primary target, and set non-HDL-C goals as 30 mg/dl higher than low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. However, the value is largely uncertain in Chinese patients. MethodsWe assigned non-HDL-C values at the same percentiles correspondent to LDL-C goals for patients from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) Project. We calculated the differences between non-HDL-C and LDL-C and proposed appropriate adding values according to LDL-C and TG concentrations. ResultsAmong 73,495 patients, 17.7% used lipid-lowering agents before admission. Of these, 27.2% achieved LDL-C <70 mg/dl while 39.4% achieved non-HDL-C <100 mg/dl. The mean difference between non-HDL-C and LDL-C was 23.2 mg/dl, which could be affected by LDL-C and TG concentrations. Importantly, of patients with LDL-C concentrations ≤100 mg/dl, the mean differences were 19.1 mg/dl in patients with TG ≤150 mg/dl and 24.6 mg/dl in patients with TG >150 mg/dl. ConclusionsThere are significant differences between LDL-C and non-HDL-C in Chinese ACS patients. For secondary prevention, on average, the adding values should be 20 mg/dl for patients with TG ≤150 mg/dl and 25 mg/dl for patients with TG >150 mg/dl when LDL-C goals of 70 mg/dl is achieved.

Performance on management strategies with Class I Recommendation and A Level of Evidence among hospitalized patients with non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome in China: Findings from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China–Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project

This study aimed to examine hospital performance on evidence-based management strategies for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and variations across hospitals. Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China (CCC)-ACS project is an ongoing registry and quality improvement project, with 150 tertiary hospitals recruited across China. We examined hospital performance on nine management strategies (Class I Recommendations with A Level of Evidence) based on established guidelines. We also evaluated the proportion of patients receiving defect-free care, which was defined as the care that included all the required management strategies for which the patient was eligible. The hospital-level variations in the performance were examined. From 2014 to 2018, 28,170 NSTE-ACS patients were included. Overall, 16% of patients received defect-free care. Higher-performing metrics were statin at discharge (93%), cardiac troponin measurement (92%), dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) within 24 hours (90%), and DAPT at discharge (85%). These were followed by metrics of β-blocker at discharge (69%), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB) at discharge (59%), and risk stratification (56%). Lower-performing metrics were smoking cessation counseling (35%) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within recommended times (33%). The proportion of patients receiving defect-free care substantially varied across hospitals, ranging from 0% to 58% (Median (interquartile range):12% (7%-21%)). There were large variations across hospitals in performance on risk stratification, smoking cessation counseling, PCI within recommended times, ACEI/ARB at discharge and β-blocker at discharge. About one in six NSTE-ACS patients received defect-free care, and the performance varied across hospitals.

In-Hospital Outcomes of Dual Loading Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients 75Years and Older With Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Findings From the CCC-ACS (Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome) Project.

BackgroundElderly patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at high risk for ischemic and bleeding events. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of dual loading antiplatelet therapy for patients 75 years and older undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for ACS.Methods and ResultsThe Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China‐ACS project was a collaborative study of the American Heart Association and Chinese Society of Cardiology. A total of 5887 patients 75 years and older with ACS who had percutaneous coronary intervention and received dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitors (clopidogrel or ticagrelor) between November 2014 and June 2017 were enrolled. The primary effectiveness and safety outcomes were in‐hospital major adverse cardiovascular events and major bleeding. Hazard ratios (HRs) of in‐hospital outcomes with different loading statuses of antiplatelet therapy were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models with multivariate adjustment. A propensity score–matched analysis was also conducted. Compared with patients receiving a dual nonloading dose, patients taking a dual loading dose had increased risks of both major adverse cardiovascular events (HR, 1.66, 95% confidence interval, 1.13–2.44; [P=0.010]) and major bleeding (HR, 2.34, 95% confidence interval, 1.75–3.13; [P<0.001]). Among 3284 propensity score–matched patients, a dual loading dose was associated with a 1.36‐fold risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (HR, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–2.11 [P=0.168]) and a 2.08‐fold risk of major bleeding (HR, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.47–2.93 [P<0.001]).ConclusionsA dual loading dose of antiplatelet therapy was associated with increased major bleeding risk but not with decreased major adverse cardiovascular events risk among patients 75 years and older undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for ACS in China.Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02306616.