Jimmy J.M. Juang

Diagnostic procedures, revascularization, and inpatient mortality after acute myocardial infarction in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Objective To investigate inpatient mortality and the use of invasive diagnostic and revascularization procedures after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Methods A case-control study was nested within the first AMI episodes between 1996 and 2007 using nationwide data. Participants with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were compared with a random sample of all other adults without severe mental illness. Inpatient mortality and receipt of cardiac catheterization, coronary arteriography, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass graft were compared in logistic regression models after adjusting for demographic and health status, hospital type, and AMI complications. Results A total of 3361 adult patients who had incident AMI between 1996 and 2007 were identified. Patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (n = 834; 24.8%) had a significantly decreased likelihood of catheterization (12.2% and 14.0%, respectively) and revascularization (9.0% and 12.8%, respectively) during the index AMI episode compared with controls (27.9% of whom received catheterization and 23.9% of whom received revascularizations). Inpatient mortality remained 2.68 times the rate in patients with schizophrenia (95% confidence interval = 1.73–4.15; p < .001) compared with controls after adjusting for intervention receipt among other covariates, but mortality was not significantly raised in patients with bipolar disorder. Conclusions In a large national sample and in the context of a comprehensive free health service, patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were substantially disadvantaged, being half as likely to receive catheterization or revascularization procedures after AMI. Further research is required to clarify the reasons for this.

Antipsychotic exposure prior to acute myocardial infarction in patients with serious mental illness

To investigate the association between acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and recent exposure to antipsychotic agents in people with serious mental illness (SMI), and modifying influences.

Relative Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in People with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Objective Despite high mortality associated with serious mental illness, risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear, especially for patients with bipolar disorder. The main objective was to investigate the relative risk of AMI associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders in a national sample. Method Using nationwide administrative data, an 11-year historic cohort study was assembled, comprised of cases aged 18 and above who had received a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, compared to a random sample of all other adults excluding those with diagnoses of serious mental illness. Incident AMI as a primary diagnosis was ascertained. Hazard ratios stratified by age and gender were calculated and Cox regression models were used to adjust for other covariates. Results A total of 70,225 people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and 207,592 people without serious mental illness were compared. Hazard ratios in men adjusted for age, income and urbanization were 1.15 (95% CI 1.01~1.32) for schizophrenia and 1.37 (1.08~1.73)for bipolar disorder, and in women, 1.85 (1.58~2.18) and 1.88(1.47~2.41) respectively. Further adjustment for treated hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia attenuated the hazard ratio for men with schizophrenia but not the other comparison groups. Hazard ratios were significantly stronger in women than men and were stronger in younger compared to older age groups for both disorders; however, gender modification was only significant in people with schizophrenia, and age modification only significant in people with bipolar disorder. Conclusions In this large national sample, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were associated with raised risk of AMI in women and in the younger age groups although showed differences in potential confounding and modifying factors.

Age of First Arrhythmic Event in Brugada Syndrome: Data From the SABRUS (Survey on Arrhythmic Events in Brugada Syndrome) in 678 Patients

Background Data on the age at first arrhythmic event (AE) in Brugada syndrome are from limited patient cohorts. The aim of this study is 2-fold: (1) to define the age at first AE in a large cohort of patients with Brugada syndrome, and (2) to assess the influence of the mode of AE documentation, sex, and ethnicity on the age at first AE. Methods and Results A survey of 23 centers from 10 Western and 4 Asian countries gathered data from 678 patients with Brugada syndrome (91.3% men) with first AE documented at time of aborted cardiac arrest (group A, n=426) or after prophylactic implantable cardioverter–defibrillator implantation (group B, n=252). The vast majority (94.2%) of the patients were 16 to 70 years old at the time of AE, whereas pediatric (<16 years) and elderly patients (>70 years) comprised 4.3% and 1.5%, respectively. Peak AE rate occurred between 38 and 48 years (mean, 41.9±14.8; range, 0.27–84 years). Group A patients were younger than in Group B by a mean of 6.7 years (46.1±13.2 versus 39.4±15.0 years; P<0.001). In adult patients (≥16 years), women experienced AE 6.5 years later than men (P=0.003). Whites and Asians exhibited their AE at the same median age (43 years). Conclusions SABRUS (Survey on Arrhythmic Events in Brugada Syndrome) presents the first analysis on the age distribution of AE in Brugada syndrome, suggesting 2 age cutoffs (16 and 70 years) that might be important for decision-making. It also allows gaining insights on the influence of mode of arrhythmia documentation, patient sex, and ethnic origin on the age at AE.

Gender Differences in Patients with Brugada Syndrome and Arrhythmic Events: Data from a Survey on Arrhythmic Events in 678 Patients

BACKGROUND There is limited information on gender differences in patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) who experienced arrhythmic events (AEs). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare clinical, electrocardiographic (ECG), electrophysiological, and genetic characteristics between males and females in patients with BrS with their first AE. METHODS The multicenter Survey on Arrhythmic Events in BRUgada Syndrome collected data on the first AE in 678 patients with BrS including 619 males (91.3%) and 59 females (8.7%) aged 0.27-84 years (mean age 42.5 ± 14.1 years) at the time of AE occurrence. RESULTS After excluding pediatric patients, it was found that females were older than males (49.5 ± 14.4 years vs 43 ± 12.7 years, respectively; P = .001). Higher proportions of females were observed in the pediatric and elderly populations. In Asians, the male to female ratio for AEs was ≈9-fold higher than that in White. Spontaneous type 1 BrS ECG was associated with an earlier onset of AEs in pediatric females. A similar prevalence (≈65%) of spontaneous type 1 BrS ECG was present in males and females above the age of 60 years. Females less frequently showed spontaneous type 1 BrS ECG (41% vs 69%; P < .001) or arrhythmia inducibility at electrophysiology study (36% vs 66%; P < .001). An SCN5A mutation was more frequently found in females (48% vs 28% in males; P = .007). CONCLUSION This study confirms that female patients with BrS are much rarer, display less type 1 Brugada ECG, and exhibit lower inducibility rates than do males. It shows for the first time that female patients with BrS with AE have higher SCN5A mutation rates as well as the relationship between gender vs age at the onset of AEs and ethnicity.

Fever-related arrhythmic events in the multicenter Survey on Arrhythmic Events in Brugada Syndrome

BACKGROUND The literature on fever-related arrhythmic events (AEs) in Brugada syndrome (BrS) is currently limited to few case reports and small series. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to describe the characteristics of fever-related AE in a large cohort of patients with BrS. METHODS The Survey on Arrhythmic Events in Brugada Syndrome is a multicenter study on 678 patients with BrS with first AE documented at the time of aborted cardiac arrest (n = 426) or after prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation (n = 252). RESULTS In 35 of 588 patients (6%) with available information, the AE occurred during a febrile illness. Most of the 35 patients were male (80%), Caucasian (83%), and proband (70%). The mean age at the time of AE was 29 ± 24 years (range 0.3-76 years). Most patients (80%) presented with aborted cardiac arrest and 6 (17%) with arrhythmic storm. Family history of sudden death, history of syncope, and spontaneous type 1 Brugada electrocardiogram were noted in 17%, 40%, and 71% of patients, respectively. Ventricular fibrillation was induced at electrophysiology study in 9 of 19 patients (47%). An SCN5A mutation was found in 14 of 28 patients (50%). The highest proportion of fever-related AE was observed in the pediatric population (age <16 years), with a disproportionally higher event rate in the very young (age 0-5 years) (65%). Males were involved in all age groups and females only in the pediatric and elderly groups. Fever-related AE affected 17 Caucasians aged <24 years, but no Asians aged <24 years. CONCLUSION The risk of fever-related AE in BrS markedly varies according to age group, sex, and ethnicity. Taking these factors into account could help the clinical management of patients with BrS with fever.

A Novel Integrated Score Index of Echocardiographic Indices for the Evaluation of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function

Background We propose a novel integrated score index, which could be used to quantify and grade left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. Methods We enrolled 629 participants [393 healthy subjects, 145 with hypertension (HTN), 24 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and 67 with coronary artery disease (CAD)]. This score index was with a score of 1 for an E/A ratio < 1, a score of 1 for a septal e’/a’ ratio ≤ 0.8, a score of 2 for a lateral e’/a’ ratio ≤ 1, a score of 2 for a septal E/e’ ratio ≥10–15, a score of 3 for a lateral E/e’ ratio ≥8–15, and a score of 1 for a deceleration time >240 ms. The sum of each score was considered as the final value in this scoring method (either a septal or a lateral E/e’ ratio > 15 was given a total score of 10, regardless of the other measurements). Results After analysis, the AUROC of this integrated score index for predicting any diastolic dysfunction (discriminated by the American Society of Echocardiography guidelines) was 0.962, and the AUROC of the method from the logistic regression was 0.970. The mean values of the score index for the groups were 3.81 ± 0.12 in healthy, 6.48 ± 0.19 in HTN, 7.35 ± 0.46 in HCM, and 6.62 ± 0.29 in CAD. Using the score index, the healthy subjects obtained lower scores compared with those of HTN (p = 0.00), HCM (p = 0.00), and CAD (p = 0.00). Therefore, this score index could discriminate patients with diseases with impaired diastolic function from the healthy subjects when the total sum of the score was equal to or greater than 4. Conclusions If the presently used methods cannot allow the clear diagnosis of LV diastolic dysfunction, this integrated score index might be helpful for discriminating diseases with impaired diastolic function.