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Mitral regurgitation (MR) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with increased mortality. The prognostic significance of only mild MR detected by echocardiography in patients with AMI is unknown. This study assessed the long-term risk associated with mild MR detected by color Doppler echocardiography within the first 48 hours of admission in 417 consecutive patients with AMI. No MR was detected in 271 patients (65%), mild MR was seen in 121 patients (29%), and moderate or severe MR was noted in 25 patients (6%). One-year mortality rates were 4.8%, 12.4%, and 24%, respectively (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that mild MR was independently associated with increased 1-year mortality (p<0.05) after adjustment for age, gender, previous myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, Killip grade > or =2 on admission, and left ventricular ejection fraction < or =40%. The hazard ratio for 1-year mortality was 2.31 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 5.20) for mild MR and 2.85 (95% confidence interval 0.95 to 8.51) for moderate or severe MR. Thus, mild MR detected by color Doppler echocardiography within the first 2 days of admission in patients with AMI is a significant independent risk predictor for 1-year all-cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycythemia has not been extensively studied for its impact on acute coronary syndrome (ACS) outcomes. A previous study reported only 30-day outcomes to be worse in these patients., Methods: Data from the ACS Israeli survey between 2000 and 2018 were utilized to compare between 3 groups of patients with ACS: anemic group (hemoglobin <12 g/dL for women and <12.5 g/dL for men), normal hemoglobin group, and polycythemic group (>16 g/dL and >16.5 g/dL, respectively). Measured outcomes included 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE comprising all-cause mortality, recurrent ACS, need for urgent revascularization, and stroke) and 1- and 5-year all-cause mortality., Results: Of 14,746 ACS patients, 10,752 (72.9%) had normal hemoglobin levels, 3,492 (23.7%) were anemic, and 502 (3.4%) were polycythemic. In comparison with normal and anemic patients, polycythemic patients were younger (55.9 ± 10.5 vs. 61.9 ± 12.4 and 71.1 ± 12.2 for anemic, respectively, p < 0.001 for both), more frequently men (93.8% vs. 81.3% and 63.1%, respectively, p < 0.001), and less likely diabetic or hypertensive. Upon adjustment to baseline characteristics, compared with normal hemoglobin, polycythemia was not independently associated with 30-day MACE or 1-year mortality, but it was independently associated with higher risk for 5-year mortality (HR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.19-2.59, p = 0.005). Similar results were observed after propensity score matching., Conclusions: Although younger and with fewer comorbidities, polycythemic ACS patients are at increased risk for long-term all-cause mortality. Further study of this association is warranted to understand the causes and possibly to improve the outcomes of these patients., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Anemia in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is strongly related to the increased risk of bleeding and mortality. Whether benefit of early invasive strategy exceeds the risk of bleeding in these patients is unknown., Aim: To assess impact of early coronary angiography on outcomes of patients with ACS and baseline anemia., Methods and Results: Biennial Israeli ACS registry (ACSIS) prospectively collects data from all 26 public hospitals. The endpoints included rates of in-hospital major bleeding, as well as 30-day and 1-year mortality. Anemia at baseline was present in 1,464 of 5,600 patients with ACS (26.1%). Coronary angiography within index hospitalization was performed less frequently in patients with anemia (76.6% vs. 90.8%, P < 0.001). Non-performance of coronary angiography was associated with older age and higher prevalence of comorbidities. Among patients with anemia who underwent coronary angiography, the majority (95.5%) had obstructive coronary disease, of whom 77.8% were triaged to revascularization. Performance of coronary angiography was associated with significantly lower (P < 0.0001) rates of mortality at 30 days (5.7% vs. 15.6%) and at 1 year (11.9% vs. 34.1%). Major bleeding occurred with similar incidence in groups with and without coronary angiography (3.1% vs. 3.8%, respectively; P = 0.54). By multivariable analysis, performance of coronary angiography was an independent predictor of lower 1-year mortality (hazard ratio [95%CI] = 0.30 [0.21, 0.44]., Conclusion: In the setting of ACS, despite the presence of baseline anemia, early coronary angiography with subsequent revascularization, when indicated, was associated with improved clinical outcomes including 1-year mortality without significant increase in rates of major bleeding., (© 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background/objectives: In the past diabetes was strongly associated with elevated mortality rate after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Over the past decade a treatment of the ACS has evolved rapidly with major advances in the management techniques. The aim of the present study was to compare temporal trends of the outcomes of diabetic vs. non-diabetic patients using nationwide data., Methods: We evaluated time-dependent changes in the clinical characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of diabetic and non-diabetic patients enrolled in the biannual ACS Israeli Surveys (ACSIS) between 2000 and 2010. We divided the survey into early (2000-2005) vs. late (2006-2010) periods., Results: There were 3964 diabetic and 7322 non-diabetic patients, a total of 11,472 ACS patients. Although diabetic patients were significantly younger, they displayed more advanced coronary artery disease and considerably higher rates of all-cause mortality at 30 days and 1-year. Both diabetic and non-diabetic patients who were enrolled in the late survey period received more evidence-based therapies (primary PCI, guideline-based medications) and experienced a better 1-year survival probability (respectively 88% vs. 84% and 93% vs. 90%; all p-values<0.01). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that diabetes and early survey period were each independently associated with a significantly increased mortality risk (respectively 39% and 25%, p<0.001 for both)., Conclusion: Our data suggest that despite the overall improvement in the management and outcomes of the ACS, diabetic patients are still at increased residual risk of long-term mortality that needs to be further addressed., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Following the EPHESUS trial in 2003, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) therapy received a class I indication for the management of eligible high-risk post-MI patients. Our goal was to examine temporal trends in MRA use in eligible post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients., Methods: We investigated temporal trends and factors associated with MRA utilization among eligible patients enrolled in the biannual Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Surveys (ACSIS) 2004-2010., Results: Among 7696 patients enrolled in the ACSIS surveys from 2004, 955 (12%) were eligible for MRA therapy. In this population, prescription of MRAs at discharge from the index event showed a modest increase from 21% to 25% over the six-year period, whereas utilization of other guideline recommended drugs, including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/receptor blockers and β-blockers was >2-fold higher. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that independent predictors of MRA prescription at discharge included a higher degree of left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF ≤30% vs. 31-40%: OR = 2.19; p = 0.02), history of heart failure prior to admission (OR = 1.92; p <0.004), admission Killip≥II (OR = 1.78; p = 0.004), and an anterior location of the index MI (OR = 1.54; p = 0.03). MRA utilization was not associated with an increased risk for adverse events or rehospitalization at 30 days of follow-up., Conclusions: In a real world setting, approximately one quarter of eligible post-MI patients are treated with an MRA following the index event, without a significant time-dependent change in this management strategy. MRAs are more likely to be underutilized in eligible lower-risk patients., (© 2013.)

Background: Intermittent intravenous dobutamine therapy is used to treat patients with decompensated end-stage chronic heart failure (CHF), in whom the vascular endothelium is usually impaired. Although it has been suggested that modification or reversal of endothelial dysfunction may be of significant therapeutic benefit, the impact of short-term intermittent intravenous dobutamine therapy on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in patients with severe decompensated end-stage chronic CHF has not been assessed., Methods: We prospectively assessed the impact of intermittent intravenous low-dose dobutamine therapy on endothelium-dependent brachial artery FMD and endothelium-independent nitroglycerin (NTG)-mediated vasodilation using high resolution ultrasound scanning in 20 consecutive male patients with severe CHF and ischemic cardiomyopathy (New York Heart Association functional class IV), at baseline and after 4 months, and compared them to 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. The cardiac index (CI), stroke index (SI), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) were assessed non-invasively with a thoracic electrical bioimpedance device before and after intravenous dobutamine therapy., Results: Intermittent intravenous dobutamine therapy resulted in significant improvement in post-intervention FMD compared with baseline (7.7% +/- 2.4% vs 1.1% +/- 2.6%; P = .001), a finding not evident in control subjects (1.3% +/- 2.6% vs 1.2% +/- 2.1%; P = .78). There was no significant effect of dobutamine treatment compared with control subjects on NTG-induced vasodilation (7.6% +/- 5.5% vs 7.5% +/- 8.8%, P = .979). Short-term dobutamine therapy also significantly improved SVR (1797 +/- 926 dyne sec/cm5 vs 2172 +/- 1133 dyne sec/cm5, P = .05), CI (2. 4+/- 0.6 L/min/m2 vs 1.9 +/- 0.6 L/min/m2, P = .01), and SI (33.5 +/- 11.7 mL/m(2) vs 27.2 +/- 12.4 mL/m2, P = .02)., Conclusions: Short-term intermittent intravenous low-dose dobutamine therapy significantly improved vascular endothelial function, perhaps demonstrating an additional mechanism for improved SVR, CI, and SI in patients with severe CHF.