Opium consumption and mid-term outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention in men

Background: Controversy persists over the potential benefits/harms of opium consumption in coronary heart disease. This study investigated the association between 12 months’ major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and pre-procedural opium consumption among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Retrospectively, 1545 consecutive men who underwent PCI between 21st June 2009 and 20th June 2010 at Tehran Heart Center and were registered in the PCI Databank were entered into this cohort study. The occurrence of MACE, defined as cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and need for target vessel revascularization (TVR) or target lesion revascularization (TLR), was compared between two groups of opium consumers and non-consumers in 350 (22.7%) patients. Results: Sixty-four (0.86%) patients expired within 12 months. After adjustment for potential confounders, analysis revealed that opium consumption had no significant relationship with 12 months’ MACE [11(3.1%) vs. 53(4.4%); p value = 0.286, among opium users vs. non users, respectively].Furthermore, the different components of MACE, including target vessel revascularization, target lesion revascularization, coronary artery bypass graft, and non-fatal myocardial infarction, were not significantly related to opium use. Conclusion: Pre-procedural opium usage in patients undergoing PCI was not associated with 12 months’ MACE.