Early Invasive Strategy for Octogenarians and Nonagenarians With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Junya Komatsu1, Yu-Ki Nishimura1, Hiroki Sugane1

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Chikamori Hospital Kochi Japan.

Circulation Reports
|July 11, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Older adults (≥80) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) face higher mortality and adverse events. However, early invasive strategies like primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) show improved outcomes, even in frail elderly patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Older adults represent a growing population experiencing acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  • Clinical presentation and outcomes in this demographic remain incompletely understood.
  • Current treatment guidelines for elderly AMI patients require further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of AMI patients aged ≥80 years versus those aged ≤79 years.
  • To investigate the impact of frailty on outcomes in elderly AMI patients.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in octogenarians and nonagenarians.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 268 consecutive AMI patients.
  • Comparison of clinical characteristics and 1-year outcomes (MACE, all-cause mortality) between the Over-80 and Under-79 groups.
  • Multivariate analysis to identify predictors of MACE and mortality in the Over-80 group.

Main Results:

  • Primary PCI rates were similar across age groups (86% vs. 89%).
  • The Over-80 group exhibited higher Killip class III-IV, in-hospital mortality, MACE, and all-cause mortality.
  • Frailty was associated with worse outcomes in the Over-80 group; PCI inversely correlated with mortality in this cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Primary PCI rates are maintained in older adults with AMI.
  • Octogenarians and nonagenarians present more severely and have worse short-term outcomes, especially if frail.
  • An early invasive strategy, including PCI, may improve prognosis in very elderly AMI patients.