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Compared with bare metal stents, sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents (SESs and PESs, respectively) have been shown to improve angiographic and clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in elective patients and those with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of the present study was to compare SESs with PESs in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Patients with STEMI were randomized 1:1 to receive SESs (n = 196) or PESs (n = 201). The primary end point was late lumen loss at 9-month follow-up by quantitative coronary angiography. Secondary end points were major adverse cardiac clinical events (death, reinfarction, target vessel revascularization) at 1 month and 9 and 12 months. Three hundred ninety-seven patients with STEMI were randomized. The 2 groups had comparable baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics. Mortality was low, 1.5% after 30 days, 2.3% after 9 months, and 3.1% after 1 year. There was no difference in any clinical outcome at any follow-up period between the 2 treatment groups. Follow-up angiography was completed in 272 of 397 patients (69%). Mean +/- SD in-stent late loss was 0.01 +/- 0.42 mm in the SES group versus 0.21 +/- 0.50 mm in the PES group (difference -0.20 mm, p = 0.001). In conclusion, in patients with STEMI, primary PCI with SESs results in less late loss compared with PESs. However, these benefits did not translate into a significant decrease in major adverse cardiac events at 1-year follow-up.

White blood cell (WBC) count and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are both used as markers of inflammation and prognosis after an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but it is unknown whether they have independent prognostic value. We investigated the association and independent prognostic importance of WBC and hs-CRP after STEMI. In this subanalysis of the On-TIME trial, in 490 of 507 (97%) patients, either WBC count or CRP, and in 362 (71%) patients, both WBC count and CRP, were measured on admission before primary percutaneous coronary intervention. There was no significant correlation between WBC count and CRP (R = 0.080). Higher levels of CRP were associated with a reinfarction or death within 1 year (mean hs-CRP 14.2 +/- 20.4 vs 6.1 +/- 14.2, p = 0.006), but CRP was not associated with enzymatic infarct size (lactate dehydrogenase, LDHQ48) or left ventricular ejection fraction. A higher baseline WBC count was associated with larger LDHQ48 and lower left ventricular ejection fraction but not with 1-year reinfarction or death. In conclusion, although both WBC count and CRP are markers of inflammation and predictors of outcome after STEMI, we did not find a correlation between baseline WBC count and CRP levels in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI. The mechanisms by which WBC counts predict outcome were related to myocardial infarct size whereas CRP were not.

Decreased left ventricular (LV) function is a strong predictor of mortality. Although current guidelines recommend prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation after ST-elevation myocardial infarction and a depressed LV ejection fraction for 1 month, the prognoses of these patients may be better than those observed in randomized trials of ICDs (1-year mortality 6.8% to 19%), particularly because reperfusion treatment has improved, and the use of life-saving drugs is higher. To assess 1-year mortality in patients with depressed LV ejection fractions after primary percutaneous coronary intervention, a prospective, observational study was performed. Data from all patients who survived >/=30 days after primary percutaneous coronary intervention and had LV ejection fractions

In acute myocardial infarction that is treated with thrombolysis, proximal coronary artery occlusion is associated with worse prognosis, irrespective of the infarcted artery. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is currently the treatment of choice for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. Therefore, we evaluated the prognostic significance of proximal versus distal coronary artery occlusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction that was treated with primary PCI. Between 1994 and 2001, patients with a first acute myocardial infarction that was treated with primary PCI were analyzed. A lesion was considered proximal if it was located proximal to the first diagonal branch in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), the first marginal obtuse branch in the left circumflex coronary artery, and the first right acute marginal branch in the right coronary artery. Lesions distal of these side branches were considered distal. In total, 1,468 patients were analyzed. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) for proximal LAD lesions was lower than that for distal ones (37 +/- 11% vs 42 +/- 11%, p <0.0001). Adjusted relative risk of 3-year mortality for proximal versus distal LAD was 4.04 (95% confidence interval 1.95 to 8.38). In patients with infarcts related to the right or left circumflex coronary artery, no significant association between lesion location and LVEF or mortality was seen. No difference was seen in adjusted 3-year mortality between distal LAD and non-LAD-related infarcts (p = 0.145). In conclusion, our analysis shows that, even in patients with acute myocardial infarction that is treated with primary PCI, infarcts related to the proximal LAD have the worst 3-year survival and lowest residual LVEF compared with distal LAD or non-LAD-related infarcts.

This study analyzed the effect of beta-blocker therapy at discharge on 1-year mortality rate in a large, unselected cohort of patients who had ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction that was treated by primary angioplasty. Our population is represented by 1,513 patients. At 1-year follow-up, beta blockers at discharge were associated with a significant decrease in mortality rate (2.9% vs 8.5%, RR 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18 to 0.59, p <0.0001), particularly in patients who had anterior wall infarction (3.9% vs 13.4%, RR 0.28, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.54, p <0.0001), whereas nonsignificant benefits were observed in patients who had nonanterior wall infarction (2.0% vs 3.3%, RR 0.6, 95% CI 0.17 to 2.07, p = NS). Benefits in terms of mortality rate that were conferred by beta blockers were confirmed at multivariate analysis that was restricted to patients who had anterior wall infarction (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.86, p = 0.022).

The present study investigated any seasonal variation in myocardial perfusion, enzymatic infarct size, and 1-year mortality in 1,548 patients who underwent primary angioplasty for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. No seasonal variation was observed in patients' demographic and clinical characteristics. No difference was observed in the prevalence of heart failure at presentation and in myocardial perfusion, enzymatic infarct size, and 1-year mortality.

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have an adverse prognosis after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Whether DM was associated with impaired myocardial reperfusion after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI was investigated. Myocardial reperfusion was assessed by ST-segment resolution and myocardial blush grade (MBG). A total of 386 patients were studied, of whom 64 (17%) had DM. These patients more frequently had reduced MBG (20% vs 10%, p = 0.02) and incomplete ST-segment resolution (55% vs 35%, p = 0.02) compared with patients without DM. After multivariate analysis, DM was still associated with impaired ST resolution (odds ratio 2.1, p = 0.03) and reduced MBG (odds ratio 2.2, p = 0.03).

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of interhospital delay on mortality in 616 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction transferred for primary angioplasty to our hospital. Longer interhospital delay was associated with impaired perfusion, larger infarct size, and higher 1-year mortality (adjusted RR 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 2.12; p = 0.019). These results suggest that in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction transferred for primary angioplasty, all efforts should be made to reduce time to treatment.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the additional prognostic effect of ST-depression resolution in 610 patients who had ST-elevation myocardial infarction and underwent successful primary angioplasty (postprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 3 flow and complete resolution of ST-segment elevation). Incomplete resolution of ST-segment depression (<70%) was observed in 50 patients (8.2%). These patients were older, had a higher Killip's class at presentation, had larger infarcts, and had an increased 1-year mortality (10% vs 2%, p = 0.0004). At multivariate analysis, incomplete resolution of ST-segment depression was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality (p = 0.028).