Background Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an under-recognized cause of acute coronary syndrome. Data regarding contemporary treatment outcomes remain limited, providing the rationale for the establishment of the SwissSCAD registry. Objectives The primary objective of the SwissSCAD registry, described in this manuscript, is to address contemporary characteristics, management and in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE; defined as a composite of stroke/transient ischemic attack, reinfarction, repeat revascularization and in-hospital death) of patients presenting with SCAD in Switzerland. Methods We performed an investigator initiated, multicentre, retrospective and prospective observational study including patients with non-atherosclerotic SCAD in 8 centres in Switzerland. Institutional ethics approval and patient consents were obtained. We recorded baseline demographics, precipitating/predisposing conditions, angiographic features, as well as in-hospital treatment and MACE. Results From August 2020 to March 2024, 264 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 53.4±10.7 years, 85% were women. Cardiovascular risk factors included hypertension (31%), familial history of myocardial ischaemic disease (31%), hypercholesterolemia (25%), active smoking (23%), and diabetes mellitus (3%). Patients presented with STEMI in 35% and with NST-ACS in 59% of cases. Treatment was conservative in 96% of patients. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in 4% of patients, coronary artery bypass grafting was limited to 1 patient. In-hospital MACE occurred in 11% of patients with following distribution: stroke/transient ischemic attack (4%), re-infarction (3%), repeat revascularization (2%), in-hospital death (2%). Dual anti-platelet therapy was prescribed in 55% of patients at discharge. Conclusions Contemporary SCAD patients are treated almost exclusively conservatively. In-hospital MACE rates are sizable, though in-hospital mortality is low. ### Competing Interest Statement Sophie Degrauwe reports grants to the institution from Abbott and Biotronik. Marco Roffi reports research grants to the institution from Biotronik, Medtronic, Terumo, Cordis and Boston Scientific. Matthias Bossard reports speaker and consultant fees from Abbott Vascular, Abiomed, Amarin, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Biosensors S.A., Boehringer Ingelheim, Daichii, MedAlliance S.A., Mundipharma, Novartis, NovoNordisk, OM Pharma S.A., Sanofi S.A., SIS Medical and Vifor. Dik Heg is employed by the Department of Clinical Research (DCR), University of Bern, which has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or consultancy fees. However, DCR is involved in design, conduct, or analysis of clinical studies funded by not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. In particular, pharmaceutical and medical device companies provide direct funding to some of these studies. For an up-to-date list of our conflicts of interest see https://www.ctu.unibe.ch/research\_projects/declaration\_of\_interest/index\_eng.html Hans Rickli reports institutional research grants from Biotronik, Medtronic, Cordis and Boston Scientific. Gregor Fahrni, Marion Dupré, Stéphane Cook, Thomas Gillhofer, Christoph Kaiser, Franz Eberli and Daniel Weilenmann report no conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. ### Clinical Trial The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT 04457544) ### Funding Statement Sophie Degrauwe reports grants to the institution from Abbott and Biotronik. Marco Roffi reports research grants to the institution from Biotronik, Medtronic, Terumo, Cordis and Boston Scientific. Matthias Bossard reports speaker and consultant fees from Abbott Vascular, Abiomed, Amarin, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Biosensors S.A., Boehringer Ingelheim, Daichii, MedAlliance S.A., Mundipharma, Novartis, NovoNordisk, OM Pharma S.A., Sanofi S.A., SIS Medical and Vifor. Dik Heg is employed by the Department of Clinical Research (DCR), University of Bern, which has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or consultancy fees. However, DCR is involved in design, conduct, or analysis of clinical studies funded by not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. In particular, pharmaceutical and medical device companies provide direct funding to some of these studies. For an up-to-date list of our conflicts of interest see https://www.ctu.unibe.ch/research\_projects/declaration\_of\_interest/index\_eng.html Hans Rickli reports institutional research grants from Biotronik, Medtronic, Cordis and Boston Scientific. Gregor Fahrni, Marion Dupré, Stéphane Cook, Thomas Gillhofer, Christoph Kaiser, Franz Eberli and Daniel Weilenmann report no conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The central ethic committee was the Geneva Cantonal Commission on Research Ethics (CCER). The study was approved by the local research ethic committee in each participating centre. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data referred to in this manuscript will be made available to the Editor and reviewers if needed.

Aims Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (RFs) play a key role in the development of coronary artery disease. We evaluated 20-year trends in RF prevalence among young adults hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Switzerland. Methods and results Data were analysed from the Acute Myocardial Infarction in Switzerland (AMIS) Plus registry from 2000 to 2019. Young patients were defined as those aged <50 years. Among 58 028 ACS admissions, 7073 (14.1%) were young (median 45.6 years, IQR 42.0-48.0), of which 91.6% had at least one modifiable RF and 59.0% had at least two RFs. Smoking was the most prevalent RF (71.4%), followed by dyslipidaemia (57.3%), hypertension (35.9%), obesity (21.7%), and diabetes (10.1%). Compared with older patients, young patients were more likely to be obese (21.7% vs. 17.4%, P < 0.001) and active smokers (71.4% vs. 33.9%, P < 0.001). Among young patients, between 2000 and 2019, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension from 29.0% to 51.3% and obesity from 21.2% to 27.1% (both P-trend < 0.001) but a significant decrease in active smoking from 72.5% to 62.5% (P-trend = 0.02). There were no significant changes in the prevalence of diabetes (P-trend = 0.32) or dyslipidaemia (P-trend = 0.067). Conclusion Young ACS patients in Switzerland exhibit a high prevalence of RFs and are more likely than older patients to be obese and smokers. Between 2000 and 2019, RF prevalence either increased or remained stable, except for smoking which decreased but still affected approximately two-thirds of young patients in 2019. Public health initiatives targeting RFs in young adults in Switzerland are warranted. Lay Summary We evaluated the prevalence of risk factors (RFs) among young patients admitted with ACS in Switzerland between 2000 and 2019. Young ACS patients in Switzerland exhibited a high prevalence of RFs. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension and obesity. Despite a significant decrease, active smoking remained the most prevalent RF. These findings strongly suggest that public health initiatives targeting RFs in young adults in Switzerland are warranted.

AIMS:This study aimed to analyse changes in pre-hospital delay over time in women and men presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Switzerland. METHODS AND RESULTS:AMIS Plus registry data of patients admitted for STEMI between 2002 and 2019 were analysed using multivariable quantile regression including the following covariates: interaction between sex and admission year, age, diabetes, pain at presentation, myocardial infarction (MI) history, heart failure history, hypertension, and renal disease. Among the 15,350 patients included (74.5% men), the median (interquartile range) delay between 2002 and 2019 was 150 (84; 345) min for men and 180 (100; 414) min for women. The unadjusted median pre-hospital delay significantly decreased over time for both sexes but the decreasing trend was stronger for women. Specifically, the unadjusted sex differences in delay decreased from 60 min in 2002 (P = 0.0042) to 40.5 min in 2019 (P = 0.165). The multivariable model revealed a significant interaction between sex and admission year (P = 0.038) indicating that the decrease in delay was stronger for women (-3.3 min per year) than for men (-1.6 min per year) even after adjustment. The adjusted difference between men and women decreased from 26.93 min in 2002 to -1.97 min for women in 2019. CONCLUSION:Over two decades, delay between symptom onset and hospital admission in STEMI decreased significantly for men and women. The decline was more pronounced in women, leading to the sex gap disappearing in the adjusted analysis for 2019.

Las escalas de predicción de riesgo utilizadas en síndromes coronarios agudos (SCA) utilizan modelos incrementales para estimar mortalidad para frecuencias cardiacas (FCs) > 60 lpm. Sin embargo, estudios previos comunicaron una relación no lineal entre la FC y los eventos, lo que sugiere que la FC baja puede tener un papel pronóstico no reconocido. El objetivo fue valorar el impacto pronóstico de las FCs baja en el SCA, definida como frecuencia cardiaca de admisión < 50 lpm. El estudio analizó datos del registro AMIS Plus, una cohorte de pacientes hospitalizados con SCA entre 1999 y 2021. El criterio de valoración principal fue la mortalidad hospitalaria por todas las causas, mientras que el compuesto de mortalidad por todas las causas se estableció por eventos cardiacos/cerebrovasculares mayores como secundario. Se adoptó una metodología estadística multinivel para evaluar el papel pronóstico de la FC baja en el SCA. Se incluyó a 51.001 pacientes. La estimación cruda mostró una distribución bimodal de las variables resultados primaria y secundaria a FCs bajas y altas. Se observó una relación no lineal entre FCs y mortalidad intrahospitalaria mediante análisis restringido de spline cúbico. Una FC entre 50-75 mostró menor mortalidad que FC < 50 lpm (OR = 0,67; IC95%, 0,47-0,99) solo tras el análisis primario multivariado, no confirmado tras análisis múltiples de sensibilidad. Tras la puntuación de propensión emparejada, se hizo evidente el desvanecimiento progresivo del papel pronóstico de la FC < 50 lpm. Las FCs baja al ingreso en SCA se asocian a una mayor tasa cruda de eventos adversos. No obstante, tras la corrección de las diferencias basales, no se confirmó el papel pronóstico de la FC baja, sino que representa más bien un marcador de morbilidad subyacente. Estos resultados pueden ser clínicamente relevantes para mejorar la precisión de las puntuaciones de riesgo en el SCA. The risk prediction scores adopted in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) use incremental models to estimate mortality for heart rate (HR) above 60 bpm. Nonetheless, previous studies reported a nonlinear relationship between HR and events, suggesting that low HR may have an unrecognized prognostic role. We aimed to assess the prognostic impact of low HR in ACS, defined as admission HR < 50 bpm. This study analyzed data from the AMIS Plus registry, a cohort of hospitalized patients with ACS between 1999 and 2021. The primary endpoint was in-hospital all-cause mortality, while a composite of all-cause mortality, major cardiac/cerebrovascular events was set as the secondary endpoint. A multilevel statistical method was used to assess the prognostic role of low HR in ACS. The study included 51 001 patients. Crude estimates showed a bimodal distribution of primary and secondary endpoints with peaks at low and high HR. A nonlinear relationship between HR and in-hospital mortality was observed on restricted cubic spline analysis. An HR of 50 to 75 bpm showed lower mortality than HR < 50 bpm (OR, 0.67; 95%CI, 0.47-0.99) only after primary multivariable analysis, which was not confirmed after multiple sensitivity analyses. After propensity score matching, progressive fading of the prognostic role of HR < 50 bpm was evident. Low admission HR in ACS is associated with a higher crude rate of adverse events. Nonetheless, after correction for baseline differences, the prognostic role of low HR was not confirmed. Therefore, low HR probably represents a marker of underlying morbidity. These results may be clinically relevant in improving the accuracy of risk scores in ACS.

Introduction and objectives: The risk prediction scores adopted in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) use incremental models to estimate mortality for heart rate (HR) above 60 bpm. Nonetheless, previous studies reported a nonlinear relationship between HR and events, suggesting that low HR may have an unrecognized prognostic role. We aimed to assess the prognostic impact of low HR in ACS, defined as admission HR < 50 bpm.Methods: This study analyzed data from the AMIS Plus registry, a cohort of hospitalized patients with ACS between 1999 and 2021. The primary endpoint was in-hospital all-cause mortality, while a composite of all-cause mortality, major cardiac/cerebrovascular events was set as the secondary endpoint. A multilevel statistical method was used to assess the prognostic role of low HR in ACS.Results: The study included 51 001 patients. Crude estimates showed a bimodal distribution of primary and secondary endpoints with peaks at low and high HR. A nonlinear relationship between HR and in hospital mortality was observed on restricted cubic spline analysis. An HR of 50 to 75 bpm showed lower mortality than HR < 50 bpm (OR, 0.67; 95%CI, 0.47-0.99) only after primary multivariable analysis, which was not confirmed after multiple sensitivity analyses. After propensity score matching, progressive fading of the prognostic role of HR < 50 bpm was evident.Conclusions: Low admission HR in ACS is associated with a higher crude rate of adverse events. Nonetheless, after correction for baseline differences, the prognostic role of low HR was not confirmed. Therefore, low HR probably represents a marker of underlying morbidity. These results may be clinically relevant in improving the accuracy of risk scores in ACS.(c) 2023 Sociedad Espanola de Cardiolog & imath;a. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

•Mortality of diabetic patients with AMI remains substantial.•In diabetic patients with AMI, rates of MACCE decreased from 2002 to 2019.•Rates of MACCE were highest in diabetic women.•The increased risk of diabetic patients, particularly women, is poorly understood.

Little is known about changes in cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) profile over time in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide, administered as bolus followed by infusion, is an adjunctive antithrombotic treatment during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in selected patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Whether both bolus and infusion are necessary to improve outcomes is unknown. We hypothesized that primary PCI with eptifibatide bolus only is non-inferior to the conventional treatment (bolus and infusion) with regard to infarct size, while reducing bleeding complications. We analyzed 720 consecutive STEMI patients receiving eptifibatide bolus only or conventional treatment in an observational case-control study utilizing propensity score matching of clinical and intervention-specific confounders. Infarct size was estimated based on myocardial bound creatine kinase, creatine kinase (CK), and CK area under the curve values, with a prespecified non-inferiority margin of 20%. Major bleeding was defined as type 2, 3, or 5 on the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium classification. Eptifibatide bolus only was administered to 147 patients (20%), which were matched 1:1 to patients receiving conventional treatment. Based on peak myocardial bound creatine kinase, CK and CK area under the curve values, infarct size was -8.4% (95% CI [-31.2%, 14.4%]), -11.6% (95% CI [-33.5%, 10.3%]), and -13.9% (95% CI [-34.1%, 6.2%]) after eptifibatide bolus, respectively, reaching prespecified noninferiority compared with conventional treatment. Bolus treatment significantly reduced major bleeding complications (OR 0.48, 95% CI [0.30, 0.79]). In conclusion, eptifibatide given as abbreviated bolus only to selected STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI was noninferior regarding infarct size and resulted in less bleeding complications compared with conventional bolus and infusion treatment.

Background: The association between alcohol consumption and the occurrence of coronary heart disease is well described in the literature, while data regarding the impact of regular alcohol consumption on in-hospital outcomes in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are lacking. We aimed to evaluate the impact of self-reported alcohol consumption on in-hospital outcomes in patients with ACS. Methods: Data derived from patients enrolled between 2007 and 2019 in the Acute Myocardial Infarction in Switzerland (AMIS) Plus registry were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stratified based on alcohol drinking pattern. Primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality, while secondary outcomes were set as incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). Outcome comparisons according to quantity of daily alcohol intake were also performed. Results: Records concerning alcohol consumption were available in 25,707 patients; 5,298 of them (21%) fulfilled the criteria of regular alcohol consumption. Regular drinkers were predominantly male, younger, smokers, more comorbid and with a worse clinical presentation as compared with abstainers/occasional drinkers. Daily alcohol intake was reported in 4,059 (77%) of these patients (regular drinkers). Among them, 2,640 were light drinkers (≤2 drinks/day) and 1,419 heavy drinkers (>2 drinks/day). In-hospital mortality and MACCEs of heavy drinkers were significantly higher compared with those of light drinkers (5.4 vs. 3.3% and 7.0 vs. 4.4%, both p = 0.001). When tested together with Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score parameters, heavy alcohol consumption was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Our results support that heavy alcohol consumption is an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients presenting with ACS.

Background Efficacy data on drug‐eluting stents (DES) versus bare‐metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein grafts are controversial. We aimed to compare DES with BMS among patients undergoing saphenous vein grafts intervention regarding long‐term outcome. Methods and Results In this multinational trial, patients were randomized to paclitaxel‐eluting or BMS. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and target‐vessel revascularization at 1 year. Secondary end points included major adverse cardiac events and its individual components at 5‐year follow‐up. One hundred seventy‐three patients were included in the trial (89 DES versus 84 BMS). One‐year major adverse cardiac event rates were lower in DES compared with BMS (2.2% versus 16.0%, hazard ratio, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03–0.64, P=0.01), which was mainly driven by a reduction of subsequent myocardial infarctions and need for target‐vessel revascularization. Five‐year major adverse cardiac event rates remained lower in the DES compared with the BMS arm (35.5% versus 56.1%, hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23–0.68, P<0.001). A landmark‐analysis from 1 to 5 years revealed a persistent benefit of DES over BMS (hazard ratio, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13–0.74, P=0.007) in terms of target‐vessel revascularization. More patients in the BMS group underwent multiple target‐vessel revascularization procedures throughout the study period compared with the DES group (DES 1.1% [n=1] versus BMS 9.5% [n=8], P=0.013). Enrollment was stopped before the target sample size of 240 patients was reached. Conclusions In this randomized controlled trial with prospective long‐term follow‐up of up to 5 years, DES showed a better efficacy than BMS with sustained benefits over time. DES may be the preferred strategy in this patient population. Registration URL: https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT00595647.

BACKGROUND:Acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related morbidity and mortality remain substantial. Data on temporal trends in in-hospital complications of ACS patients are scarce. This study sought to investigate whether the incidence of in-hospital complications of ACS patients changed over time.METHODS:Acute coronary syndrome patients prospectively enrolled in the National Registry of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Switzerland (AMIS Plus) between 2003 and 2018 and with available data on in-hospital complications were included in the analysis. Rates of in-hospital complications, including recurrent angina, recurrent myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular events, cardiogenic shock, bleeding, acute renal failure, sepsis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)/multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS), AV block needing pacing and new-onset atrial fibrillation, were assessed for each 2-year period.RESULTS:Among 47,845 ACS patients, in-hospital complications significantly decreased from 22.0% in 2003/2004 to 18.9% in 2017/2018 (p for trend <0.001). An initial decline in rates of in-hospital complications to 15.7% in 2009/2010 (p for trend <0.001) was followed by a constant increase thereafter (p for trend = 0.002). While rates of recurrent angina, recurrent myocardial infarction, and cardiogenic shock decreased over time, rates of bleeding events, acute renal failure, sepsis/SIRS/MODS, and new-onset atrial fibrillation increased. Rates of in-hospital complications were higher in women, mainly due to a constantly increased risk of bleeding and AV block needing pacing.CONCLUSIONS:The decrease in ischemic complications was paralleled by a concomitant increase in non-ischemic events. These findings emphasize that advanced strategies targeting non-ischemic complications are warranted to further improve quality of care of ACS patients.

Introduction: Limited data are available on the impact of multisite artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndromes. In particular, it is unknown whether the outcomes of those high-risk patients have improved over time. Therefore, we addressed the multisite artery disease patient population enrolled in the Swiss nationwide prospective acute coronary syndromes cohort study AMIS Plus over two decades. Methods: All patients enrolled from January 1999 to October 2016 were stratified according to the presence of isolated coronary artery disease or multisite artery disease, defined as coronary artery disease with known concomitant vascular disease (i.e. cerebrovascular disease and/or peripheral artery disease). Multisite artery disease 1 (MSAD1) and multisite artery disease 2 (MSAD2) defined patients with one and two additional vascular conditions, respectively. Primary outcome measures were in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (defined as re-infarction, stroke or death). Results: Among a total of 44,157 patients, 39,613 (89.7%) had coronary artery disease only while 4544 (10.3%) had multisite artery disease (4097 (9.3%) had MSAD1 and 447 (1.0%) had MSAD2). Compared with patients with coronary artery disease only, multisite artery disease patients were older, had a longer delay from symptom onset to hospital admission, had more frequently atypical presentation, presented more frequently with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes, were more frequently in Killip class III/IV, had higher Charlson comorbidity index, more frequently had three-vessel coronary artery disease and were treated less frequently with evidence-based treatments such as aspirin, P2Y(12) inhibitors, or beta-blockers. Similarly, multisite artery disease benefitted less frequently from coronary angiography as well as percutaneous coronary revascularisation. In-hospital mortality was 10.9% in multisite artery disease patients and 4.4% in coronary artery disease-only patients (P<0.001). Corresponding major adverse cardiovascular events rates were 13.4% and 5.4% (P<0.001). Cardiogenic shock, re-infarction and cerebrovascular events were significantly more frequent in multisite artery disease patients compared with coronary artery disease-only patients. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, multisite artery disease was identified as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.47-1.94, P<0.001). Among multisite artery disease patients, mortality was the highest in MSAD2 individuals (15.4% vs. 10.4% among MSAD1 patients, P=0.001), the same was true for the major adverse cardiovascular events rates (19.1% in MSAD2 patients vs. 12.7% in MSAD1 patients, P<0.001). When stratified for the decade of enrollment, no improvement in mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events rates was observed in multisite artery disease patients. Conclusion: Patients presenting with multisite artery disease were less likely to receive evidence-based therapies than coronary artery disease-only patients and had increased in-hospital morbidity and mortality, with no improvement over time. The worse outcomes were observed among MSAD2 patients. These results should prompt awareness for multisite artery disease as a high-risk condition in the setting of multisite artery disease.

Adherence to non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) may be lower than to vitamin K antagonists because NOACs do not require routine monitoring. We assessed the impact of an educational program on adherence and persistence with apixaban in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Patients with NVAF eligible for NOACs with one or more stroke risk factor (prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, age ≥ 75 years, hypertension, diabetes, or symptomatic heart failure) were randomized (1:1) to standard of care (SOC) or SOC with additional educational (information booklet, reminder tools, virtual clinic access). The primary outcome was adherence to apixaban (2.5 or 5 mg twice daily) at 24 weeks. Patients receiving the educational program were re-randomized (1:1) to continue the program for 24 further weeks or to switch to secondary SOC. Implementation adherence and persistence were reassessed at 48 weeks. In total, 1162 patients were randomized (SOC, 583; educational program, 579). Mean implementation adherence ± standard deviation (SD) at 24 weeks was 91.6% ± 17.1 for SOC and 91.9% ± 16.1 for the educational program arm; results did not differ significantly between groups at any time-point. At 48 weeks, implementation adherence was 90.4% ± 18.0, 90.1% ± 18.6, and 89.3% ± 18.1 for continued educational program, SOC, and secondary SOC, respectively; and corresponding persistence was 86.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 81.3–89.7), 85.2% (95% CI 81.5–88.2), and 87.8% (95% CI 83.4–91.1). Serious adverse events were similar across groups. High implementation adherence and persistence with apixaban were observed in patients with NVAF receiving apixaban. The educational program did not show additional benefits. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT01884350].

BACKGROUND:In patients with acute myocardial infarction, the presence of a left bundle branch block or right bundle branch block may be associated with worse prognosis compared to isolated ST segment elevation. However, specificities in clinical presentation and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction patients with left bundle branch block or right bundle branch block are poorly characterized.METHODS:We analysed acute myocardial infarction patients with left bundle branch block (n=880), right bundle branch block (n=732) or ST segment elevation without bundle branch block (n=15,852) included in the Acute Myocardial Infarction in Switzerland-Plus registry between 2008-2019.RESULTS:Acute myocardial infarction patients with bundle branch block were older and had more pre-existing cardiovascular conditions compared to ST segment elevation. Pulmonary oedema and cardiogenic shock were most frequent in patients with left bundle branch block (18.8% vs 12.0% for right bundle branch block and 7.9% for ST segment elevation, p<0.001). Acute myocardial infarction patients with bundle branch block had more three-vessel (40.6% vs 25.3%, p<0.001 vs ST segment elevation) and left main disease (5.6% vs 2.0%, p<0.001 vs ST segment elevation). Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, a composite of reinfarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, and death during hospitalization, were highest in acute myocardial infarction patients with left bundle branch block (13.9% vs 9.9% for right bundle branch block and 6.7% for ST segment elevation, p<0.05), which was driven by hospital mortality. After multivariate adjustment, however, mortality was similar in patients with left bundle branch block and lower in patients with right bundle branch block, respectively, when compared to ST segment elevation. Mortality was only increased when a right bundle branch block with concomitant STE was present (odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval 1.19-2.64, p<0.01 vs ST segment elevation).CONCLUSIONS:Compared to ST segment elevation, an isolated bundle branch block reflects high-risk clinical characteristics but does not independently determine increased hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction.

Introduction and objectives: The management and risk stratification of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndromes constitute a challenge. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of AF whether present at admission or occurring during hospitalization for acute coronary syndromes, as well as trends in treatments and outcome. Methods: Data derived from 35 958 patients enrolled between 2004 and 2015 in the AMIS Plus registry were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Pre-existing AF (pre-AF) was present in 1644 (4.7%) while new-onset AF (new-AF) was evident in 309 (0.8%). Presentation with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and need for hemodynamic support was frequent in patients with AF, especially in those with new onset of the arrhythmia. A change of the medical and interventional approaches was observed with a progressive increase in oral anticoagulation prescription and referral for angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions in pre-AF patients. Despite different baseline risk profile and clinical presentations, both AF groups showed high in-hospital and 1-year mortality (in-hospital new-AF vs pre-AF [OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.53-1.17; P = .246]; 1-year mortality new-AF vs pre-AF [OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.31-1.67; P = .448]) Pre-AF but not new-AF independently predicted in-hospital mortality. While mortality declined over the study period for patients with pre-AF, it remained stable among new-AF patients. Conclusions: While pre-AF is independently associated with in-hospital mortality, new-AF may reflect a worse hemodynamic impact of the acute coronary syndromes, with the latter ultimately driving the prognosis. (C) 2018 Sociedad Espanola de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Introduction: The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide, administered as bolus followed by infusion, is a recommended adjunctive antithrombotic therapy during primary PCI in STEMI patients. ...

BackgroundDual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) prevents thrombotic events after coronary stent implantation but may induce bleedings, specifically in elderly patients. However, a competitive risk analysis is lacking.ObjectivesTo assess the determinants of major bleeding and the balance between the competing risks of major bleeding and thrombotic events during prasugrel-based DAPT after stent implantation.MethodsOverall, 2,291 patients randomized to drug-eluting or bare metal stents and treated with prasugrel 10mg/day for 1 year were followed over 2 years for major bleeding (BARC 3/5) and thrombotic events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, definitive/probable stent thrombosis). Prasugrel dose was reduced to 5mg in patients >75 years and/or <60kg. Predictors of major bleeding and competing risks of major bleeding and thrombotic events were assessed.ResultsTwo-year rates of major bleeding and thrombotic events were 2.9% and 9.0%, respectively. The only independent predictor of major bleeding was age (hazard ratio per year increase 1.05 [1.02,1.07], p<0.001). The relationship between major bleeding and age was non-linear, with lowest hazard ratios at 57 years and an exponential increase only above 65 years. In contrast, the relationship between thrombotic events and age was linear and continuously increasing with older age. While the competing risk of thrombotic events was higher than that of major bleeding in younger patients, the two risks were similar in older patients. After discontinuation of prasugrel, bleeding events leveled off in all patients, while thrombotic events continued to increase.ConclusionsIn prasugrel-based DAPT, age is the strongest risk factor for major bleeding, increasing exponentially >65 years. In younger patients, thrombotic events represent a higher risk than bleeding, while thrombotic and bleeding risks were similar in older patients. Important clinical implications relate to prasugrel dose in the elderly, duration of DAPT and the competing risk balance necessitating individualized treatment decisions.