Emergency coronary angiography in a 90-plus population: outcomes at 5-year follow-up

Elderly people represent a vulnerable and increasing population presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Our goal was to evaluate a group of very old patients who underwent emergency coronary angiography (CA). We retrospectively analyzed a group of very old patients (≥90 years old) who underwent emergency CA from 2008 to 2020. Survival and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (a composite of all-cause death, ischemic stroke, ACS, or hospitalization for acute heart failure) were compared with an aged-matched control population with ACS not submitted to emergency CA. A total of 34 patients were enrolled, 56% of whom were female, with a median age of 92 years old. Almost all patients had ST elevation-ACS. In CA, 65% had multivessel disease, and coronary intervention was performed in 71%. More than one-third evolved in Killip class III/IV, and 70% had left ventricular dysfunction. Regarding mortality, 38% of patients died in the index event versus 25% in the aged-matched control group (p=0.319). During 5 years of follow-up, there was no significant difference in mortality between the 2 groups (Log-rank=0.403) and more than 50% of patients died in 2 years. Comparing MACE occurrence, both groups were similar (Log-rank=0.662), with more than 80% having at least one event in 5 years. Very old patients submitted to emergency CA had a high rate of multivessel disease and left ventricular dysfunction, in-hospital and follow-up mortality, and MACE. Compared to an aged-matched control group not submitted to emergency CA, they showed no survival or MACE benefit during a 5-year follow-up.