Acute Occlusion of the Infarct-Related Artery as a Predictor of Very Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Acute

Nikola Kos1, Ivan Zeljković1, Tomislav Krčmar2,3

  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia.

Insights

Total infarct-related artery occlusion did not impact long-term mortality in acute myocardial infarction patients. However, non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) showed higher mortality than ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), regardless of artery presentation.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) management focuses on reperfusion therapy.
  • The role of infarct-related artery (IRA) occlusion in very long-term outcomes remains debated.
  • Distinguishing between occlusive and non-occlusive IRA presentations is crucial for risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of angiographically verified IRA occlusion on very long-term outcomes in patients with STEMI and NSTEMI.
  • To compare mortality rates between occlusive myocardial infarction (OMI) and non-occlusive myocardial infarction (NOMI) presentations.
  • To assess the influence of IRA occlusion on mortality within STEMI and NSTEMI subgroups.

Main Methods:

  • A single-center, registry-based study included 2450 patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with PCI (June 2011-December 2016).
  • Patients were categorized into OMI (100% stenosis, TIMI flow 0) and NOMI (50-99% stenosis, TIMI 1-3 flow) based on IRA status.
  • Very long-term outcomes were analyzed with a median follow-up of 4.7 years.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in cardiovascular or all-cause mortality was observed between OMI and NOMI groups (p=0.374).
  • Patients with NSTEMI exhibited significantly higher very long-term mortality compared to STEMI patients (21.6% vs 18.1%, p=0.029).
  • STEMI patients predominantly presented with OMI (88%), while NSTEMI patients more frequently had NOMI (66.81%).

Conclusions:

  • Total IRA occlusion is not associated with increased long-term mortality in AMI patients.
  • NSTEMI diagnosis is linked to higher mortality, irrespective of the IRA's angiographic presentation (OMI/NOMI).
  • IRA occlusion did not significantly affect mortality rates within either STEMI or NSTEMI patient groups.
Abstract

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