Marcin Sadowski

Gender-related differences in mortality after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a large multicentre national registry.

AIMS Clinical outcomes in the treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) differ between men and women. The aim of the study was to compare results of STEMI management in a large multicentre national registry. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 456 hospitals (including 58 interventional centres) participated in the registry during one year. The study group consisted of 8,989 (34.5%) females and 17,046 (65.5%) males. Women were older (69.7 ± 11 vs. 62 ± 12 years; p<0.0001) and had more risk factors. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed significantly less in women (47.8% vs. 57.4%; p<0.0001). There was a longer time delay in women at each stage of treatment. The incidence of in-hospital complications was higher in women. In-hospital (11.9% vs. 6.9%; p<0.0001) and 12-months (22% vs. 14.1%; p<0.0001) mortality was significantly higher in women. In multivariate analysis pulmonary oedema, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, age, diabetes and anterior infarction significantly increased both in-hospital and long-term mortality. The in-hospital mortality was higher in the female group. CONCLUSIONS Despite poor clinical characteristics, less than satisfactory management and a worse prognosis of STEMI in women, being a women itself is not a risk factor for increased long-term mortality, however, other well known risk factors affecting the prognosis relate frequently to the female gender.

Altered Plasma Fibrin Clot Properties Are Associated With In-Stent Thrombosis

Objectives—We sought to investigate whether patients with in-stent thrombosis (IST) display altered plasma fibrin clot properties. Methods and Results—We studied 47 definite IST patients, including 15 with acute, 26 subacute and 6 late IST, and 48 controls matched for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, concomitant treatment and angiographic/stent parameters. Plasma clot permeability (Ks), which indicates a pore size, turbidity (lag phase, indicating the rate of fibrin clot formation, &Dgr;Absmax, maximum absorbance of a fibrin gel, reflecting the fiber thickness), lysis time (t50%) and maximum rate of d-dimer release from clots (D-Drate) were determined 2 to 73 (median 14.7) months after IST. Patients with IST had 21% lower Ks, 14% higher &Dgr;Absmax, 11% lower D-Drate, 30% longer t50% (all P<0.0001) and 5% shorter lag phase compared to controls (P=0.042). There were no correlations between clot variables and the time of IST or that from IST to blood sampling. Multiple regression analysis showed that Ks (odds ratio=0.36 per 0.1 &mgr;m2, P<0.001), D-Drate (odds ratio=0.16 per 0.01 mg/L/min, P<0.001) and stent length (odds ratio=1.1 per 1 mm, P=0.043) were independent predictors of IST (R2=0.58, P<0.001). Conclusions—IST patients tend to form dense fibrin clots resistant to lysis, and altered plasma fibrin clot features might contribute to the occurrence of IST.

Coronary thrombus composition: Links with inflammation, platelet and endothelial markers

OBJECTIVES We investigated whether markers of platelet, neutrophil and endothelial activation, plasma fibrin clot properties and patient clinical profile may characterize coronary thrombus composition in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. METHODS A total of 40 intracoronary thrombi obtained 4.0-16.5 h since chest pain onset by manual aspiration during primary coronary intervention (PCI) were assessed using scanning electron microscopy. Plasma fibrin clot permeation coefficient (Ks) and clot lysis time (CLT), together with platelet and endothelial activation, fibrinolysis, and inflammation markers, were measured ex vivo in 16 patients on admission (pre-PCI group) and on the next morning in 24 patients (post-PCI group). RESULTS Fibrin, erythrocyte, platelet and white blood cell content in the thrombi were estimated at 49.1%, 24.2%, 11.6% and 3.7% respectively. In the pre-PCI group, in addition to fibrinogen, P-selectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were positively correlated with thrombus fibrin content. In the post-PCI group, in addition to von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag), soluble CD40 ligand and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were positively correlated with thrombus fibrin content. After adjustment for fibrinogen and onset-to-thrombectomy time circulating vWF:Ag in both groups, and MPO and P-selectin in the pre-PCI group were the independent predictors of fibrin-rich intracoronary thrombus presence. Other predictors were renal impairment, arterial hypertension and time from symptom onset to thrombus aspiration in all patients. CONCLUSIONS In STEMI patients coronary thrombus composition is partly characterized by plasma markers of platelet, neutrophil and endothelial activation, with a varying contribution of these factors over time.

Higher mortality in women after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in very young patients

Introduction Data on mortality in young patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) when compared to older people or regarding therapeutic strategies are contradictory. We investigate the prognosis of women under 40 after STEMI in a prospective nationwide acute coronary syndrome registry. Material and methods We analyzed all 527 consecutive men and women (12.3% females) aged from 20 to 40 years (mean 35.7 ±4.5) presenting with STEMI, of all 26035 STEMI patients enrolled. Results Differences between genders in the major cardiovascular risk factors, clinical presentation, extent of the disease and time to reperfusion were insignificant. The majority of patients (67%) underwent coronary angiography followed by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 79.9% of them. A 92% reperfusion success rate measured by post-procedural TIMI 3 flow was achieved. There were no significant differences between genders in the administration of modern pharmacotherapy both on admission and after discharge from hospital. In-hospital mortality was very low in both genders, but 12-month mortality was significantly higher in women (10.8% vs. 3.0%; p = 0.003). Killip class 3 or 4 on admission (95% CI 19.6-288.4), age per 5-year increase (95% CI 1.01-3.73) and primary PCI (95% CI 0.1-0.93) affected mortality. In patients who underwent reperfusion there was moderately higher mortality in women than in men (7.1% vs. 1.9%; p = 0.046). Conclusions Despite little difference in the basic clinical characteristics and the management including a wide use of primary PCI, long-term mortality in women under forty after STEMI is significantly higher than in men.

Acute myocardial infarction due to left main coronary artery disease: A large multicenter national registry

BACKGROUND Optimal management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) due to critical stenosis of an unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) is not established. However, data from observational studies and registries encourage to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in high risk patients. We investigated gender-related discrepancies, clinical course and prognosis in patients with acute MI and ULMCA as an infarct-related artery. METHODS A total of 643 consecutive patients (184 [28.6%] females and 459 [71.4%] males) with acute MI due to critical ULMCA stenosis were selected from the population of 121,526 patients hospitalized due to acute coronary syndromes between 2003 and 2006. The primary endpoints were in-hospital, 30-day, 6-month and 12-month mortality. RESULTS Women were older than men with significantly higher proportion of women older than 65 and with unfavorable risk profile. The management in men and women was similar. There was no significant gender-related differences in mortality in all follow-up periods. In multivariate analysis cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema, ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and advanced age significantly increased mortality, whereas successful PCI decreased mortality. CONCLUSIONS No significant differences in clinical course, treatment and prognosis between men and women were noted. Mortality remained very high in both genders. The most unfavorable prognostic factors were cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema, STEMI and advanced age. Percutaneous coronary angioplasty is feasible and offers high success rate in this subset of patients.

Pregnancy after Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Proposal for Patients’ Management and a Literature Review

Coronary artery disease complicates only 0.01% of all pregnancies. For this reason, more exhaustive data on the management of such cases is lacking. Even guidelines on management of cardiovascular disease in pregnant women are scarce focusing mainly on acute myocardial infarction. This is a complex issue involving thorough evaluation of cardiovascular status in each pregnant woman, assessment of risk for developing coronary complications, and close cooperation with obstetric teams. Safety data on typical cardiac drugs such as statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or novel antiplatelet drugs are also scarce and their effect on the developing human fetus is not well understood. We present a review on the management of such patients.

ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Women With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of type 2 diabetes on the clinical course and prognosis of women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 26,035 consecutive patients with STEMI who were hospitalized in 456 hospitals in Poland during 1 year were analyzed. The data were obtained from the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS). RESULTS Type 2 diabetes occurred more frequently in women than in men (28 vs. 16.6%; P < 0.0001). The proportion of women was larger among patients with diabetes (47.1 vs. 31.3%; P < 0.0001), and compared with women without diabetes, diabetic women had worse clinical profiles. Women with diabetes were most frequently treated conservatively. Both women and men with diabetes had significantly more advanced atherosclerotic lesions than women without diabetes. Women with diabetes had the highest in-hospital, 6-month, and 1-year mortality rates. Multivariate analysis indicated that type 2 diabetes was a significant independent risk factor for in-hospital and 1-year mortality in women with STEMI. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) was a significant factor associated with the decreased 1-year mortality in women without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS Type 2 diabetes was a significant independent risk factor for in-hospital and 1-year mortality in women with STEMI. Women with diabetes had the poorest early and 1-year prognoses after STEMI when compared with women without diabetes and men with diabetes. Although pPCI improves the long-term prognosis of women with diabetes, it is used less frequently than in women without diabetes or men with diabetes.

Complications of percutaneous thrombin injection in patients with postcatheterization femoral pseudoaneurysm

To study the complications of ultrasound‐guided thrombin injection of pseudo‐aneurysms occurring after interventional cardiovascular procedures.

Acute myocardial infarction due to left main coronary artery disease in men and women: does ST-segment elevation matter?

Introduction Gender-specific issues regarding ST-segment elevation (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) due to unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease were not sufficiently studied. We assessed the value of STEMI/NSTEMI initial classification on the management of men and women with acute MI due to critical stenosis or occlusion of the ULMCA. Material and methods The study group consisted of 643 consecutive patients with acute MI with the ULMCA as the infarct-related artery. Data derive from an ongoing, nationwide, multicenter, prospective, observational registry. Results Isolated ULMCA disease was more frequent in women and multivessel disease was more frequent in men in the NSTEMI group. The incidence of cardiogenic shock or pulmonary edema and cardiac arrest was higher in the STEMI group. Totally occluded ULMCA was more frequent in the STEMI group. Although the majority of patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), it was less frequently used in NSTEMI women and NSTEMI men. Although in-hospital and long-term mortality rates were higher in the STEMI group, there were no gender-related differences within groups. The initial ST-segment elevation was an independent predictor of in-hospital (OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.14–4.91, p = 0.02) and 12-month (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.01–2.27, p = 0.045) mortality. Conclusions There were no gender-related differences in the management within the STEMI or NSTEMI group. Although acute myocardial infarction due to ULMCA disease is associated with high mortality in both genders, STEMI was a negative prognostic factor of in-hospital and 12-month mortality. Despite poor baseline characteristics and clinical presentation in women, female gender itself did not influence mortality.

Pregnancy after myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting - is it safe?

Pregnancy after myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), although still rare, is slowly becoming a challenge in everyday clinical practice. In recent decades MI has been observed to occur more frequently in young women. Concurrently an increasing number of women decide to become pregnant at more advanced age. Although pregnancy after MI and CABG may be possible and safe, a multidisciplinary approach involving careful evaluation by the cardiac and obstetric team in each individual is mandatory. Two cases of pregnant women with a history of MI treated with CABG are presented and their management is discussed.