Long-term Cardiac Mortality Research Articles

Interpretable machine learning model for predicting long-term cardiovascular mortality risk in chronic kidney disease patients using SHAP explainers

Abstract Background Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibited a pronounced burden of cardiac mortality. However, early prediction of cardiovascular mortality risk in CKD patients remains an unmet medical need. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the performance of machine learning (ML) algorithms and identify the most influential factors in predicting long-term cardiac mortality among CKD patients. Methods Six ML models were developed, with the most effective one chosen for predicting and categorising patients into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the maximal Youden’s index. Differences in survival rates were assessed using the log-rank test on Kaplan-Meier curves. Cox regression analysis was employed to investigate the relationship between ML-predicted risk scores and mortality. Furthermore, the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was implemented to provide personalised explanations for model decisions. Results The auto-encoder (AE) model achieved the highest AUC of 0.94, with a sensitivity of 80.95% and specificity of 96.34%. Compared to individuals in low-risk group, those in high-risk group exhibited a significantly elevated risk of cardiovascular mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 48.24; P <0.001). According to the SHAP model, age, C-reactive protein, blood urea nitrogen and hypertension were identified as the four most influential factors in the AE model. Conclusions Our study successfully developed an AE machine learning model for predicting 10-year cardiovascular mortality among CKD patients. The combination of ML model and SHAP aids doctors in understanding key features in the model, improving their insight into decision-making related to disease severity assessment, thus facilitating early preventive strategies in clinical practice.

A Single-Center Experience in Low Ejection Fraction Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Background. Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in patients with an ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 35% predisposes them to higher complications and mortality risks. Given the usually compromised status of other end organs in low EF patients, ONCAB, involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and aortic cross-clamping, might intuitively pose more complications than OPCAB. Objective. To explore short- and long-term outcomes between ONCAB and OPCAB procedures in patients with EF ≤ 35%. Methods. A retrospective and observational analysis was conducted in 196 patients with EF ≤ 35% who underwent ONCAB (n = 58) or OPCAB (n = 138) procedures at a single center between January 2015 and May 2023. Baseline characteristics were well matched using the stabilized inverse probability treatment weighted matching technique. Results. After matching, ONCAB and OPCAB had comparable 30-day mortality and 30-day cardiac mortality. OPCAB exhibited significantly shorter length of hospital and ICU stays, with a trend towards more discharges to home. Rates of composite complication and its individual components such as acute kidney injury, reoperation bleeding, stroke, pneumonia, GI disease, and atrial fibrillation were similar between the two groups. Rates of sepsis, liver dysfunction, and blood transfusion were significantly lower in the OPCAB group. As assessed by EF and LVDD, neither procedure showed superiority in improving cardiac function. Median follow-up time was 4.9 (interquartile range: 2.1–7.2) years. After matching, long-term overall survival (1, 3, 7 years) and cardiac mortality rates were comparable between OPCAB and ONCAB. Cumulative rates of cardiac arrest, heart failure, myocardial infarction (MI), atrial fibrillation (Afib), renal disease, and readmission (overall and cardiac) at 7 years were similar. Conclusion. This study demonstrates comparable short-term and long-term outcomes between ONCAB and OPCAB in patients with reduced EF, with OPCAB favoring faster recovery. OPCAB appears as a safer and equally effective option for low EF CABG patients. Larger samples and longer follow-ups are needed for conclusive clinical evidence.

Gestational diabetes mellitus and risk of long-term all-cause and cardiac mortality: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundTo investigate the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) without subsequent overt diabetes and long-term all-cause and cardiac mortality.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 10,327 women (weighted population: 132,332,187) with a pregnancy history from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007 to 2018). Participants were divided into three groups (GDM alone, overt diabetes, and no diabetes). Mortality data was linked from the National Death Index up to December 31, 2019. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association between GDM alone and overt diabetes with all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality. Data analysis was performed from October 2022 to April 2023.ResultsAmong the participants, 510 (weighted 5.3%) had GDM alone and 1862 (weighted 14.1%) had overt diabetes. Over a median follow-up period of 6.7 years (69,063 person-years), there were 758 deaths. The GDM group did not show an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67; 95% CI, 0.25–1.84), while the overt diabetes group had a significantly higher risk (HR 1.95; 95% CI, 1.62–2.35). Similarly, the GDM group did not exhibit an elevated risk of cardiac mortality (HR 1.48; 95% CI, 0.50–4.39), whereas the overt diabetes group had a significantly higher risk (HR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.69–3.32). Furthermore, sensitivity analysis focusing on women aged 50 or above showed that the HR of GDM history for all-cause mortality was 1.14 (95% CI, 0.33–3.95) and the HR for cardiac mortality was 1.74 (95% CI, 0.49–6.20).ConclusionsGDM alone was not associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiac mortality, while overt diabetes was significantly associated with both types of mortality.

Abstract 12224: Long Term Mortality in Patients With Low-Risk Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

Introduction: Stress testing is utilized for diagnosis and risk stratification for coronary artery disease, with low-risk myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) indicating less than 1% cardiac mortality per year. We aimed to determine the long-term cardiac mortality in these patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of 1,300 patients with low-risk MPI in 2015, including pharmacological and exercise studies in a tertiary care center in Central Massachusetts, USA. Each patient was followed from the time of the MPI study for a total duration of 7 years. All-cause mortality and cardiac death were identified. We calculated the pharmacologic and exercise MPI percentage in patients with cardiac death. A cardiac mortality graph was plotted to observe trends over seven years. Results: Out of the 1,300 patients, 3.2% [n=42; mean age 74.6+/-20 years, 78% male (n=32)] of patients had a cardiac death in the follow-up period of 7 years. The pharmacological MPI group had 5% (n=41) cardiac deaths as compared to 0.2% (n=1) in the exercise MPI with the low Duke Treadmill Score group (p-value 0.04) [Figure 1a]. The cardiac death trend over the seven years revealed the highest mortality in year 6 (19%, n= 8) and the lowest in year 4 (7.1%, n=3) [Figure 1b]. Conclusions: The incidence of long-term cardiac deaths is less than 0.5% each year in patients with low-risk MPI, in both groups. Cardiac mortality was higher in patients who underwent pharmacological stress tests indicating appropriate assessment of underlying cardiac pathology. Exercise MPI depends on multiple variables to be optimal, while all patients undergoing pharmacological MPI are maximally stressed. Extensive, multi-center, controlled studies are necessary to evaluate the differences in risk stratification of low-risk MPI between exercise and pharmacological stress tests.

The Prognostic Implications of Living Alone on Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Living alone is associated with increased cardiac events and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, the prognostic impact of living alone with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) still remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the relationship between living alone and long-term mortality in patients with CCS who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Consecutive 830 patients with CCS who underwent PCI were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to whether or not they were living alone at the time of admission (living alone group and non-living alone group). We compared the clinical characteristics between the 2 groups and followed up cardiac mortality. The living alone group was younger compared with the non-living alone group (67.5 versus 70.7 years old, P = 0.017). The prevalence of comorbidities, including coronary risk factors, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, stroke, peripheral artery disease, coronary lesion characteristics, laboratory data, and left ventricular ejection fraction, were comparable between the 2 groups. During the follow-up period (median 1,622 days), 52 cardiac deaths occurred. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, cardiac mortality was significantly higher in the living alone group than in the non-living alone group (24% versus 11%, P = 0.008). In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses after adjusting for possible confounding factors, living alone was an independent predictor of cardiac mortality (hazard ratio, 2.426, 95% confidence interval 1.225-4.804, P = 0.011).Among CCS patients who underwent PCI, living alone was associated with high long-term cardiac mortality.

Comparison of revascularization with conservative medical treatment in maintenance dialysis patient with coronary artery disease: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

The primary cause of death among maintenance dialysis patients is coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the best treatment plan has not yet been identified. The relevant articles were retrieved from various online databases and references from their inception to October 12, 2022. The studies that compared revascularization [percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)] with medical treatment (MT) among maintenance dialysis patients with CAD were selected. The outcomes evaluated were long-term (with a follow-up of at least 1 year) all-cause mortality, long-term cardiac mortality, and the incidence rate of bleeding events. Bleeding events are defined according to TIMI hemorrhage criteria: (1) major hemorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage or clinically visible hemorrhage (including imaging diagnosis) with decrease of hemoglobin concentration ≥5 g/dl; (2) minor hemorrhage, clinically visible bleeding (including imaging diagnosis) with a drop in hemoglobin of 3-5 g/dl; (3) minimal hemorrhage, clinically visible bleeding with hemoglobin drop <3 g/dl. In addition, revascularization strategy, CAD type, and the number of diseased vessels were considered in subgroup analyses. A total of eight studies with 1,685 patients were selected for this meta-analysis. The current findings suggested that revascularization was associated with low long-term all-cause mortality and long-term cardiac mortality but a similar incidence rate of bleeding events compared to MT. However, subgroup analyses indicated that PCI is linked to decreased long-term all-cause mortality compared to MT but CABG did not significantly differ from MT in terms of long-term all-cause mortality. Revascularization also showed lower long-term all-cause mortality compared to MT among patients with stable CAD, single-vessel disease, and multivessel disease but did not reduce long-term all-cause mortality among patients with ACS. Long-term all-cause mortality and long-term cardiac mortality were reduced by revascularization in comparison to MT alone in patients undergoing dialysis. Larger randomized studies are needed to confirm the conclusion of this meta-analysis.

Coronary Revascularization in Patients With Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Propensity-Matched Studies.

Patients with diabetes have poorer outcomes with coronary artery disease (CAD) and pose a unique clinical population for revascularization. We performed a pairwise meta-analysis of randomized trials (RCTs) and propensity-matched observational studies (PMS) to compare the clinical outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with diabetes. A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify RCT and PMS studies comparing CABG with PCI in patients with diabetes with concurrent CAD. Studies were pooled using the random-effects model to perform a pairwise meta-analysis. Primary outcomes included long-term all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), and repeat revascularization. Meta-regression was used to explore the effects of baseline risk factors on primary outcomes with moderate to high heterogeneity. A total of 18 RCTs and 9 PMS with 28,846 patients were included. PCI was associated with increased long-term all-cause mortality (risk ratio [RR] = 1.34, P < 0.001), cardiac mortality (RR = 1.52, P < 0.001), MI (RR = 1.51, P = 0.009), MACCE (RR = 1.65, P < 0.001), and repeat revascularization (RR = 2.48, P < 0.001) compared with CABG. There was no difference in long-term stroke between the 2 groups (RR = 0.95, P = 0.82). At meta-regression, a greater proportion of female patients in studies was associated with a decreased protective benefit for CABG for long-term all-cause mortality but an increased protective benefit for long-term MI and repeat revascularization. Revascularization of patients with diabetes using CABG is associated with significantly reduced long-term mortality, MI, MACCE, and repeat revascularizations. Future studies exploring the influence of gender on revascularization outcomes are necessary to elucidate the ideal treatment modality in patients with diabetes.

784 IMPACT OF ELECTIVE, UNCOMPLICATED TARGET LESION REVASCULARIZATION ON CARDIAC MORTALITY AFTER ELECTIVE PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION OF UNPROTECTED LEFT MAIN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Abstract Background Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) appears a reasonable alternative to coronary artery bypass graft in selected groups of patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. Despite technological progression, improved operator skills and introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES), in-stent restenosis still remains a major limitation after PCI of ULMCA disease. The prognostic relevance of target lesion revascularization (TLR) after PCI of ULMCA disease is unknown. Objectives This study sought to evaluate the impact of elective, uncomplicated target lesion revascularization on long-term cardiac mortality after PCI of ULMCA disease. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing PCI for ULMCA disease between January 2003 and December 2015 in one interventional center in Italy were included. Patients presenting with cardiogenic shock, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI), as well as those undergoing urgent or complicated TLR were excluded. The primary endpoint of the study was cardiac mortality. The secondary endpoints of the study were all-cause death, MI, stroke as individual endpoints, or the composite of cardiac death, MI or stroke defined as major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Results Among the 418 patients fulfilling the study criteria, 79 (18.46%) underwent elective, uncomplicated TLR. After a median follow-up of 5.5 years, there were 23 cardiac deaths among patients undergoing elective, uncomplicated TLR versus 50 in patients not undergoing TLR. After adjusting for possible confounders, TLR was an independent predictor of cardiac mortality (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05 to 3.49; p = 0.03). Patients undergoing TLR had also significantly higher rates of the composite of cardiac death, MI and stroke compared with the no TLR group (adjusted HR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.72). Conclusion Elective, uncomplicated TLR after PCI of ULMCA disease is associated with increased risk of long-term cardiac mortality. Reducing the risk of TLR after PCI of ULMCA disease may potentially improve the survival of these patients.

The Prognostic Impact of D-Dimer on Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

D-dimer is a common measurable coagulation marker that is associated with the risk of thrombotic events in vascular diseases. However, the impact of D-dimer on long-term mortality in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients remains unclear. This study investigated the association between D-dimer and long-term all-cause, cardiac and cancer mortality in CAD patients. Continuous 1,440 patients with CAD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and survived to discharge were enrolled. These patients were divided into 3 groups based on plasma D-dimer levels at admission. Baseline D-dimer levels were grouped by tertiles: first (D-dimer < 0.7 μg/mL, n = 455), second (0.7 ≤ D-dimer < 1.2, n = 453), and third (1.2 ≤ D-dimer, n = 532). In a Kaplan-Meier analysis (mean follow-up periods 1,572 days), all-cause, cardiac and cancer mortalities were significantly higher in the third tertile than others (P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). In multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses after adjusting for confounding factors, a high D-dimer level was an independent predictor of all-cause, cardiac, non-cardiac and cancer mortalities (HR 3.23, P < 0.001; HR 3.06, P = 0.008; HR 3.11, P = 0.026). In a subgroup analysis, there were no interactions except for the gender subgroup in cancer mortality. In patients with CAD after PCI, high D-dimer levels were associated with long-term all-cause, cardiac and cancer mortality.

Pearls, pitfalls, and surgical indications of the Intuity TM heart valve:A rapid deployment bioprosthesis. A systematic review of the literature.

To highlight short- and long-term clinical outcomes of the Intuity TM rapid deployment prosthesis for surgical aortic valve replacement. We reviewed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, SciELO, LILACS, CCTR/CENTRAL, and Google Scholar for clinical trials, retrospective clinical studies, meta-analysis, and gray literature. Fourty-five clinical studies with 12.714 patients were included in the analysis. Thirty-day mortality ranged from 3.8% for Intuity and 3.9% for transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR). The incidence of paravalvular leak(PVL) (Intuity 0% and TAVR 2.17%), permanent pacemaker implantation(Intuity 11.11% and TAVR 12.5%), stroke (Intuity 2.2% and TAVR 2.6%), myocardial infarction(MI) (Intuity 0% and TAVR 1%), were all higher in the TAVR group. Compared to other sutured bioprosthesis (SB), mortality ranged from 0% to 3.9% for Intuity and 0%-6.9% for SB. Long-term cardiac mortality ranged from 0.9% to 1.55% for Intuity and 1.4%-3.3% for the Perceval valve. The incidence of PVL (Intuity 0.24%-0.7% and Perceval 0%-1%), endocarditis (Intuity 0.2%-0.7% and Perceval 1.6%-6.6%), stroke (Intuity 0.36%-1.4% and Perceval 0%-0.8%), MI (Intuity 0.07%-0.26%), and SVD (Intuity 0.12%-0.7% and Perceval 0%) were comparable. Compared to standard full sternotomy (SFS), minimally invasive surgery (MINV) mortality ranged from 0% to 4.3% for MINV and 0%-2.1% for SFS. Hospital costs outcomes ranged from $37,187-$44,368 for the Intuity, $69,389 for TAVR, and $13,543 for SB. Intuity short-term mortality ranged between 0.9% and 12.4% while long-term mortality ranged between 2.6% and 20%. This manuscript provides a 360° overview of the current rapid deployments, sutureless, and TAVR prosthesis.

Prognostic Impact of Target Lesion Revascularization on Long-Term Cardiac Mortality After Current-Generation Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation for Left Main Distal Bifurcation: the Milan and New-Tokyo (MITO) Registry

BackgroundThere are scarce data about the incidence and impact on clinical outcomes of target lesion revascularization (TLR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for unprotected left main distal bifurcation lesions (ULMD) in current generation drug eluting stent (cDES) era. ObjectivesWe evaluated the incidence and impact on clinical outcomes of TLR after PCI using cDES for ULMD. MethodsWe identified 720 patients treated with cDES for ULMD at New Tokyo Hospital (Matsudo, Japan), San Raffaele Scientific Institute and EMO-GVM Centro Cuore Columbus (Milan, Italy) between January 2005 and December 2015. We divided those patients in 2 groups; TLR group (n = 107), no TLR group (n = 613). The TLR group was comprised patients undergoing a repeat revascularization by PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting of the target lesion. Analysis using propensity score adjustment was also performed. The primary endpoint was cardiac mortality. Additionally, we analyzed the impact of TLR for each main branch (MB) or side branch on cardiac mortality using multivariate Cox regression analysis. ResultsCardiac mortality was significantly higher in TLR group than in no TLR group (adjusted HR 1.96; 95 % CI, 1.50–3.62; p = 0.032). Cardiac mortality was also significantly higher in TLR group after propensity score adjustment. TLR for MB was identified as an independent predictor of cardiac death on multivariate Cox regression analysis. ConclusionsThe TLR, especially the TLR for MB, after PCI even with cDES for ULMD, was strongly associated with worse cardiac mortality.

Abstract 11777: The Prognostic Impact of Living Alone on Long-Term Cardiac Mortality in Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndrome After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: It has been reported that social frailty is associated with increased mortality in elderly patients with heart failure. However, the prognostic impact of social frailty on mortality in ischemic heart disease is unclear. Here we examined the relationship between living alone, which is one of the criteria for social frailty, and long-term mortality in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods and Results: Consecutive 830 patients with CCS who underwent PCI were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they lived alone or not at the time of discharge. We compared clinical characteristics between two groups and followed cardiac mortality. Patients living alone were younger (66.3 vs. 69.9 years, P = 0.002). The prevalence of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic kidney disease, anemia, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, stroke and peripheral artery disease were comparable between two groups. In addition, the rates of medications such as beta-blockers, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, statins and anti-thrombotic agents did not differ between two groups. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis (mean follow-up period of 1703.9 days), cardiac mortality was significantly higher in the group of patients who were living alone than those who were not (P = 0.008). In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses after adjusting for confounding factors, living alone was an independent predictor of cardiac mortality (hazard ratio 2.44, 95% confidence interval 1.25 - 4.74, P = 0.009). Subgroup analysis which was performed adjusting for interactions between living alone and clinically important variables revealed no interactions. Conclusion: Among CCS patients who underwent PCI, living alone was associated with long-term cardiac mortality regardless of other comorbidities and medications.

Impact of Nonobstructive Left Main Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis on Long-Term Mortality

BackgroundAlthough the presence of severe stenosis in the left main coronary artery (LMCA) is a well-established predictor of mortality, whether this extends to nonobstructive atherosclerosis in the LMCA is unknown. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between LMCA disease by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and long-term mortality. MethodsBetween 2005 and 2013, 3,239 patients with LMCA IVUS imaging without LMCA revascularization (either before angiography or scheduled based on index angiography or IVUS) were included. The primary and secondary endpoints were all-cause and cardiac mortality at a minimum of 5 years obtained from the National Death Index. ResultsThe IVUS-measured LMCA minimum lumen area (MLA) and plaque burden were 13.1 ± 5.0 mm2 and 41.7% ± 15.6%, respectively. The median follow-up was 8.2 years. The Kaplan-Meier estimated 12-year all-cause and cardiac death rates were 37.5% and 17.0%, respectively. Greater plaque burden (unadjusted HR per 10%: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.12-1.22; P < 0.0001) and smaller IVUS MLA (unadjusted HR per 1 mm2: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99; P = 0.0008) were associated with all-cause death. After adjusting for clinical, angiographic, and IVUS factors, plaque burden (adjusted HR per 10%: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.04-1.21; P = 0.003) but not MLA (adjusted HR per 1 mm2: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.99-1.04; P = 0.18) was associated with long-term all-cause death. These findings were also consistent for long-term cardiac mortality. ConclusionsIn the present large-scale study with a 12-year follow-up, increasing LMCA plaque burden was associated with long-term all-cause and cardiac mortality in patients not undergoing LMCA revascularization, even when the lumen area was preserved.

The uric acid to albumin ratio: a novel predictor of long-term cardiac mortality in patients with unstable angina pectoris after percutaneous coronary intervention

The prognosis of unstable angina pectoris (UAP) differs from non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is considered to improve outcomes of UAP. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of uric acid to albumin ratio (UAR) for long-term mortality in UAP patients after PCI. Our study retrospectively enrolled 2298 patients hospitalized because of UAP in a tertiary hospital. Divided by medium UAR, the patients were classified into two groups. Baseline demographics, clinical features and laboratory characteristics were obtained from medical records. Post-discharge follow-up was performed either in outdoor clinic or through phone call. The primary endpoint in this study was cardiac death, while all-cause death and rehospitalization were designated as the secondary endpoints. The median follow-up time was 672 days. Among all patients, 58 (2.5%) died, 28 of which died of cardiac deaths (1.2%), and 467 were re-hospitalized (20.3%). Cardiac mortality and all-cause mortality were found to be significantly higher in the high UAR group than in the low UAR group (p = 0.007, p < 0.001), and Kaplan–Meier analysis showed patients with higher UAR may suffer from worse outcomes (p = 0.020). UAR, PCI history, and age were identified as independent predictors of cardiac mortality by multivariate Cox regression. A UAR value of >8.35 was demonstrated as an ideal cut-off point to predict post-PCI cardiac mortality (p <0.001). Overall, it is indicated that baseline UAR was independently correlated with long-term cardiac mortality in patients with UAP treated by PCI.

Association Between Admission Pulse Pressure and Long-Term Mortality in Elderly Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Admitted for Acute Coronary Syndrome: An Observational Cohort Study.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the effect of pulse pressure (PP) at admission on long-term cardiac and all-cause mortality among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) admitted for acute coronary syndrome (ACS).MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study. The patients aged at least 65 years with T2DM and ACS from January 2013 to April 2018 were enrolled and divided into 4 groups according to admission PP: <50 mmHg; 50–59 mmHg; 60–69 mmHg, and ≥70 mmHg. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses and restricted cubic spline were performed to determine the association between PP and outcomes (cardiac and all-cause death).ResultsA total of 2,587 consecutive patients were included in this cohort study. The mean follow-up time was 39.2 months. The incidences of cardiac death and all-cause death were 6.8% (n = 176) and 10.8% (n = 280), respectively. After multivariate adjustment in the whole cohort, cardiac and all-cause mortality were significantly higher in PP <50 mmHg group and PP ≥70 mmHg group, compared with PP 50–59 mmHg group. Further analysis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) subgroup confirmed that PP <50 mmHg was associated with cardiac death [hazard ratios (HR) 2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45–5.76, P = 0.002] and all-cause death (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.20–3.58, P = 0.009). Meanwhile, PP ≥70 mmHg was associated with all-cause death (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.05–3.00, P = 0.031). However, admission PP did not appear to be a significant independent predictor in unstable angina pectoris (UAP) subgroup. There is a U-shaped correlation between PP and cardiac and all-cause mortality in the whole cohort and UAP subgroup and a J-shaped correlation in the AMI subgroup, both with a nadir at 50–59 mmHg.ConclusionIn elderly patients with T2DM admitted for ACS, admission PP is an independent and strong predictor for long-term cardiac and all-cause mortality, especially in patients with AMI.

Clinical Outcome of Current Treatment with ECMO in Cardiogenic Shock: Analysis of Korea National Insurance Data 2009-2018

<h3>Purpose</h3> To analyze the current status of cardiogenic shock and outcomes with open use of ECMO using 10-year national insurance data with propensity matching analysis. <h3>Methods</h3> This retrospective nationwide cohort study included patients registered under the National Health Insurance and Medical Aid program in Korea. From the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database, we collected the data of patients with a diagnosis of cardiogenic shock during hospitalization. ECMO patients were individually matched to non-ECMO patients (1:1) by age, sex, hospital type, past history, and malignancy. The primary study outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included long-term mortality, long-term cardiac and non-cardiac mortality, and cost analysis. Survival analyses were performed using propensity score-matched data. We divided the study duration into two periods for trend analysis. <h3>Results</h3> The open use of ECMO in cardiogenic shock was not associated with reduced in-hospital mortality, long-term all-cause mortality, and cardiac mortality. However, ECMO use was associated with a reduced rate of long-term non-cardiac mortality and overall mortality in patients who were discharged alive. Overall mortality was not changed but non-cardiac mortality in cardiogenic shock patient treated with ECMO was decreased in recent 10 years. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Further research on the patient group who would get most benefit from ECMO is warranted as well as development of cardiogenic shock management algorithm with MCS.

Comparison of GRACE and TIMI risk scores in the prediction of in-hospital and long-term outcomes among East Asian non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients

BackgroundRisk stratification in non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) determines the intervention time. Limited study compared two risk scores, the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk scores in the current East Asian NSTEMI patients.MethodsThis retrospective observational study consecutively collected patients in a large academic hospital between 01/01 and 11/01/2017 and followed for 4 years. Patients were scored by TIMI and GRACE scores on hospital admission. In-hospital endpoints were defined as the in-hospital composite event, including mortality, re-infarction, heart failure, stroke, cardiac shock, or resuscitation. Long-term outcomes were all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality in 4-year follow-up.ResultsA total of 232 patients were included (female 29.7%, median age 67 years), with a median follow-up of 3.7 years. GRACE score grouped most patients (45.7%) into high risk, while TIMI grouped the majority (61.2%) into medium risk. Further subgrouping the TIMI medium group showed that half (53.5%) of the TIMI medium risk population was GRACE high risk (≥ 140). Compared to TIMI medium group + GRACE < 140 subgroup, the TIMI medium + GRACE high-risk (≥ 140) subgroup had a significantly higher in-hospital events (39.5% vs. 9.1%, p < 0.05), long-term all-cause mortality (22.2% vs. 0% p < 0.001) and cardiac death (11.1% vs. 0% p = 0.045) in 4-year follow-up. GRACE risk scores showed a better predictive ability than TIMI risk scores both for in-hospital and long-term outcomes. (AUC of GRACE vs. TIMI, In-hospital: 0.82 vs. 0.62; long-term mortality: 0.89 vs. 0.68; long-term cardiac mortality: 0.91 vs. 0.67, all p < 0.05). Combined use of the two risk scores reserved both the convenience of scoring and the predictive accuracy.ConclusionGRACE showed better predictive accuracy than TIMI in East Asian NSTEMI patients in both in-hospital and long-term outcomes. The sequential use of TIMI and GRACE scores provide an easy and promising discriminative tool in predicting outcomes in NSTEMI East Asian patients.

Effect of Volatile Anesthetics on Myocardial Infarction After Coronary Artery Surgery: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Trial

To investigate the effect of volatile anesthetics on the rates of postoperative myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac death after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). A post hoc analysis of a randomized trial. Cardiac surgical operating rooms. Patients undergoing elective, isolated CABG. Patients were randomized to receive a volatile anesthetic (desflurane, isoflurane, or sevoflurane) or total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). The primary outcome was hemodynamically relevant MI (MI requiring high-dose inotropic support or prolonged intensive care unit stay) occurring within 48 hours from surgery. The secondary outcome was 1-year death due to cardiac causes. A total of 5,400 patients were enrolled between April 2014 and September 2017 (2,709 patients randomized to the volatile anesthetics group and 2,691 to TIVA). The mean age was 62 ± 8.4 years, and the median baseline ejection fraction was 57% (50-67), without differences between the 2 groups. Patients in the volatile group had a lower incidence of MI with hemodynamic complications both in the per-protocol (14 of 2,530 [0.6%] v 27 of 2,501 [1.1%] in the TIVA group; p=0.038) and as-treated analyses (16 of 2,708 [0.6%] v 29 of 2,617 [1.1%] in the TIVA group; p=0.039), but not in the intention-to-treat analysis (17 of 2,663 [0.6%] v 28 of 2,667 [1.0%] in the TIVA group; p=0.10). Overall, deaths due to cardiac causes were lower in the volatile group (23 of 2,685 [0.9%] v 40 of 2,668 [1.5%] than in the TIVA group; p=0.03). An anesthetic regimen, including volatile agents, may be associated with a lower rate of postoperative MI with hemodynamic complication in patients undergoing CABG. Furthermore, it may reduce long-term cardiac mortality.

An Asian Perspective on Gender Differences in In-Hospital and Long-Term Outcome of Cardiac Mortality and Ischemic Stroke after Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

ObjectivesGender differences historically exist in cardiovascular disease, with women experiencing higher rates of major adverse cardiovascular events. We investigated these trends in a contemporary Asian cohort, examining the impact of gender differences on cardiac mortality and ischemic stroke after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Materials and MethodsWe analysed 3971 consecutive patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI retrospectively. The primary outcome was cardiac mortality and ischemic stroke in-hospital, at one year and on longer-term follow up (median follow up 3.62 years, interquartile range 1.03–6.03 years). ResultsThere were 580 (14.6%) female patients and 3391 (85.4%) male patients. Female patients were older and had higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, previous strokes, and chronic kidney disease. Cardiac mortality was higher in female patients during in-hospital (15.5% vs. 6.2%), 1-year (17.4% vs. 7.0%) and longer term follow up (19.9% vs. 8.1%, log-rank test: p < 0.001). Similarly, females had higher incidence of ischemic stroke at in-hospital (2.6% vs. 1.0%), 1-year (3.6% vs. 1.4%) and in the longer-term (6.7% vs. 3.1%) as well (log-rank test: p < 0.001). Female gender remained an independent predictor of in-hospital cardiac mortality (HR 1.395, 95%CI 1.061-1.833, p=0.017) and on longer-term follow-up (HR 1.932 95%CI 1.212-3.080, p=0.006) even after adjusting for confounders. ConclusionsFemales were at higher risk of in-hospital and long-term cardiac mortality and ischemic stroke after PPCI for STEMI. Future studies are warranted to investigate the role of aggressive management of cardiovascular risk factors and follow-up to improve outcomes in the females with STEMI.

What new dose distribution statistics may be included in the optimization of dose distribution in radiotherapy for post-mastectomy patients

Introduction. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the doses delivered to heart substructures and calculate normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for the intensity modulation radiotherpy (IMRT) irradiated group of left-sided post-mastectomy patients. Material and methods. In this retrospective study for 30 randomly chosen breast cancer patients, the mean dose, V2, V4, V10, V20 and D2% in the heart substructures were evaluated. Results. The mean heart dose was 12.3 Gy, the mean left anterior descending artery (LAD) dose was 28.5 Gy. The average value of long-term cardiac mortality was 0.17%, pericarditis 0.0%, left ventricle perfusion defects 24.5% and LAD toxicity 0.2%. In the literature, for the IMRT technique for left-sided mastectomy patients, the mean heart dose ranged from 8.7–14.0 Gy and the V20 10.5–14%. Additional studies are needed to describe the cardiac toxicity. Conclusions. It is necessary to contour cardiac substructures for reliable assessment of the dose distribution, although the mean heart dose is simplification for modern radiotherapy techniques.