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Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of baseline anemia and anemia following revascularization on outcomes in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease., Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, observational study conducted between January 2015 and December 2019. The data on patients with ULMCA who underwent revascularization through percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) were stratified by the hemoglobin level at baseline into anemic and non-anemic groups to compare in-hospital events. The pre-discharge hemoglobin following revascularization was categorized into very low (<80 g/L for men and women), low (≥80 and ≤119 g/L for women and ≤129 g/L for men), and normal (≥130 g/L for men and ≥120 g/L for women) to assess impact on follow-up outcomes., Results: A total of 2,138 patients were included, 796 (37.2%) of whom had anemia at baseline. A total of 319 developed anemia after revascularization and moved from being non-anemic at baseline to anemic at discharge. There was no difference in hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) and mortality between CABG and PCI in anemic patients. At a median follow-up time of 20 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 27), patients with pre-discharge anemia who underwent PCI had a higher incidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) (p < 0.0001), and those who underwent CABG had significantly higher follow-up mortality (HR: 9.85 (95% CI: 2.53-38.43), p = 0.001)., Conclusion: In this Gulf LM study, baseline anemia had no impact upon in-hospital MACCE and total mortality following revascularization (PCI or CABG). However, pre-discharge anemia is associated with worse outcomes after ULMCA disease revascularization, with significantly higher all-cause mortality in patients who had CABG, and a higher incidence of CHF in PCI patients, at a median follow-up time of 20 months (IQR: 27)., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: The evidence about the optimal revascularization strategy in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease and impaired renal function is limited. Thus, we aimed to compare the outcomes of LMCA disease revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] vs. coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG]) in patients with and without impaired renal function., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 2,138 patients recruited from 14 centers between 2015 and 2,019. We compared patients with impaired renal function who had PCI (n= 316) to those who had CABG (n = 121) and compared patients with normal renal function who had PCI (n = 906) to those who had CABG (n = 795). The study outcomes were in-hospital and follow-up major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE)., Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of in-hospital MACCE was significantly higher in CABG compared to PCI in patients with impaired renal function (odds ratio [OR]: 8.13 [95% CI: 4.19-15.76], p < 0.001) and normal renal function (OR: 2.59 [95% CI: 1.79-3.73]; p < 0.001). There were no differences in follow-up MACCE between CABG and PCI in patients with impaired renal function (HR: 1.14 [95% CI: 0.71-1.81], p = 0.585) and normal renal function (HR: 1.12 [0.90-1.39], p = 0.312)., Conclusions: PCI could have an advantage over CABG in revascularization of LMCA disease in patients with impaired renal function regarding in-hospital MACCE. The follow-up MACCE was comparable between PCI and CABG in patients with impaired and normal renal function., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: To evaluate the association of dual versus single antiplatelet therapy with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the Arabian Gulf., Subjects and Methods: Data were analyzed from 3,559 patients with a diagnosis of ACS admitted to 29 hospitals in 4 Arabian Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and United Arab Emirates) from January 2012 to January 2013. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), consisting of aspirin and clopidogrel, was compared to aspirin alone. MACE included 12-months cumulative stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), myocardial infarction (MI), all-cause mortality, and readmissions for cardiac reasons, post discharge. Analyses were performed using multivariable logistic regression., Results: A total of 74% (n = 2,634) of the patients were on DAPT. At 12-month follow-up, patients on DAPT were significantly less likely to experience MACE events (adjusted OR [aOR] 0.73; 95% CI: 0.61-0.86; p < 0.001). Lower cardiovascular (CV) event rates were also consistent across the following MACE components; MI (aOR 0.66; 95% CI: 0.49-0.88; p = 0.005), all-cause mortality (aOR 0.69; 95% CI: 0.51-0.94; p = 0.018), and readmissions for cardiac reasons (aOR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.66-0.95; p = 0.011). Conversely, DAPT was adversely associated with increased risk of stroke/TIA (aOR 1.68; 95% CI: 1.05-2.69; p = 0.030)., Conclusions: DAPT, compared to aspirin therapy alone, was generally associated with better CV outcomes after an ACS event. However, DAPT was adversely associated with increased risk of stroke/TIA in ACS patients in the Arabian Gulf., (© 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: Despite the expanding burden of heart failure (HF) worldwide, data on HF precipitating factors (PFs) in developing countries, particularly the Middle East, are very limited. We examined PFs in patients hospitalized with acute HF in a prospective multicenter HF registry from 7 countries in the Middle East., Method: Data were derived from the Gulf CARE (Gulf aCute heArt failuRe rEgistry) for a prospective, multinational, multicenter study of consecutive patients hospitalized with HF in 47 hospitals in 7 Middle Eastern countries between February 2012 and November 2012. PFs were determined by the treating physician from a predefined list at the time of hospitalization., Results: The study included 5,005 patients hospitalized with acute HF, 2,276 of whom (45.5%) were hospitalized with acute new-onset HF (NOHF) and 2,729 of whom (54.5%) had acute decompensated chronic HF (DCHF). PFs were identified in 4,319 patients (86.3%). The most common PF in the NOHF group was acute coronary syndromes (ACS) (39.2%). In the DCHF group, it was noncompliance with medications (27.8%). Overall, noncompliance with medications was associated with a lower inhospital mortality (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.28-0.80; p = 0.005) but a higher 1-year mortality (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.1-1.85; p = 0.007). ACS was associated with higher inhospital mortality (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.26-2.68; p = 0.002) and higher 1-year mortality (OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.27-2.06; p = 0.001)., Conclusion: Preventive and therapeutic interventions specifically directed at noncompliance with medications and ACS are warranted in our region., (© 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: To study the short-term mortality from ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the Arabian Gulf region of the Middle East, and to examine whether these geographically and culturally related countries had similar or different outcomes., Subjects and Methods: The Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events recruited consecutive acute coronary syndrome patients from six Middle Eastern countries over a 5-month period., Results: Of 6,706 patients recruited, 2,626 (39%) had STEMI, and a total of 165 patients died in hospital, with a crude mortality rate of 6.3%. However, mortality rates varied geographically between 10% in Yemen, 9.6% in Oman and 3.3% in the other countries. The unadjusted odds ratio of mortality for Yemen was 3.2 (95% CI: 2.2-4.7), and 3.1 (95% CI: 1.9-4.8) for Oman, compared to other Gulf countries. Even after adjusting for age and gender, the mortality remained significantly higher, almost double, in Oman and Yemen compared to other countries. This could be understood in the light of significant differences in a number of practice pattern variables such as reperfusion therapy, timely presentation and use of evidence-based medications., Conclusion: We found significant variability in STEMI mortality among Gulf Arab countries and identified areas requiring further efforts to reduce excess mortality in the region., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background and Objectives: Stroke is a potential complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of this study was to identify the incidence, risk factors predisposing to stroke and in-hospital outcome during the index admission with AMI among patients in the Middle East., Methods: For a period of 6 months in 2006 and 2007, 5,833 consecutive AMI patients were enrolled from 64 hospitals in 6 Middle East countries., Results: The incidence of in-hospital stroke following AMI was 0.85%. Most cases were ST segment elevation AMI-related and ischemic in nature. Patients with in-hospital stroke were older than patients without stroke and were more likely to be female (36 vs. 18.6%, p = 0.0033). They were also more likely to have diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, prior AMI, or percutaneous/surgical coronary revascularization. Patients with stroke were more likely to present with advanced Killip class II-IV, higher mean heart rate and higher serum creatinine. Independent predictors of stroke were age, prior stroke, prior coronary artery bypass surgery, anterior AMI and systolic blood pressure >190 mm Hg on presentation. Early administration of statins was independently associated with reduced stroke risk (odds ratio, OR, 0.4, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.19-0.90, p = 0.025). Stroke was fatal in 44% of the cases and was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 12.5, 95% CI 5.7-27.4, p < 0.01)., Conclusion: There is a low incidence of in-hospital stroke in Middle-Eastern patients presenting with AMI but with very high fatality rates. Early statin therapy was associated with a significant reduction in stroke risk. Future work should be focused on reducing the risk and improving the outcome of this devastating complication., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)