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Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is not uncommon but remains arguably an under-diagnosed etiology for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It occurs predominantly in young-to-middle aged women who have no or few traditional atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors. Post-infarction mechanical complications are a dreaded outcome of ACS. However, very few case reports describe these mechanical complications related to SCAD. Unsuccessful revascularization is a particular concern for patients presenting with SCAD-induced ACS, which can increase the risk for certain mechanical complications. We present a case of a middle-aged woman who presented with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and was found to have SCAD of left anterior descending coronary artery. Two attempts at revascularization were unsuccessful. Thereafter, her clinical course was complicated by the development of heart failure as a result of a reduced ejection fraction and a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. Importantly she also suffered a ventricular septal rupture necessitating surgical intervention. Fortunately, our patient had a favorable longer-term outcome. Current literature, including five published case reports on SCAD complicated by mechanical complications are reviewed. Clinicians must remain aware of post-infarction mechanical complications in patients with high-risk and non-revascularized SCAD., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: For patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), prasugrel was recommended over ticagrelor in a recent randomized controlled trial, although more data are needed on the rationale. Here, the effects of P2Y12 inhibitors on ischemic and bleeding events in patients with NSTE-ACS were investigated., Methods: Clinical trials that enrolled patients with NSTE-ACS were included, relevant data were extracted, and a network meta-analysis was performed., Results: This study included 37,268 patients with NSTE-ACS from 11 studies. There was no significant difference between prasugrel and ticagrelor for any end point, although prasugrel had a higher likelihood of event reduction than ticagrelor for all end points except cardiovascular death. Compared with clopidogrel, prasugrel was associated with decreased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-0.99) and myocardial infarction (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68-0.99) but not an increased risk of major bleeding (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.97-1.74). Similarly, compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular death (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.94) and an increased risk of major bleeding (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.00-1.77; P = .049). For the primary efficacy end point (MACE), prasugrel showed the highest likelihood of event reduction (P = .97) and was superior to ticagrelor (P = .29) and clopidogrel (P = .24)., Conclusion: Prasugrel and ticagrelor had comparable risks for every end point, although prasugrel had the highest probability of being the best treatment for reducing the primary efficacy end point. This study highlights the need for further studies to investigate optimal P2Y12 inhibitor selection in patients with NSTE-ACS., (© 2023 by the Texas Heart® Institute, Houston.)

Purpose of Review: Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is an urgent medical condition that requires prompt application of simultaneous pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies. The variation in patient clinical characteristics coupled with the multitude of treatment modalities makes optimal and timely management challenging. This review summarizes risk stratification of patients, the role and timing of revascularization, and highlights important considerations in the revascularization approach with attention to individual patient characteristics., Recent Findings: The early invasive management of NSTEMI has fostered a reduction in future ischemic events. Risk calculators are helpful in determining which patients should receive early invasive management. As many patients have multivessel disease, identifying the true culprit lesion can be challenging. Special attention should be given to those at the highest risk, such as diabetics, patients with renal failure, and those with left main disease. In patients with acute coronary syndrome, the decision and mode of revascularization should carefully integrate the patient's clinical characteristics as well as the complexity of the coronary anatomy.

Background: Patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at increased risk for subsequent ischemic events., Hypothesis: Short-term dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (≤6 months) is inferior to standard or long-term DAPT in patients who undergo PCI for ACS events., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared short-term (≤6 months) to long-term (≥12 months) DAPT after PCI for ACS. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database., Results: Ten randomized controlled trials, including a total of 12 696 patients, met our inclusion criteria. For short-term DAPT, duration of therapy ranged from 3 to 6 months, while long-term DAPT ranged from 12 to 24 months. The majority of studies used clopidogrel and second-generation drug-eluting stents. No statistically significant difference was found between short-term and long-term DAPT with regard to myocardial infarction (odds ratio 1.21; 95% confidence interval 0.94-1.57; P = 0.14), stent thrombosis (odds ratio 1.54; 95% confidence interval 1.00-2.38; P = 0.052), or major bleeding events (odds ratio 0.74; 95% confidence interval 0.49-1.11; P = 0.14). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality, cardiac death, or net adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events., Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that short-term DAPT (<6 months) after PCI for ACS was not associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis when compared to long-term DAPT., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Bleeding complications are associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Compared to Whites, several studies demonstrated a higher risk of bleeding in Asians who present with acute myocardial infarction. To date, the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor in East Asian population have not been well established., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared ticagrelor and clopidogrel in East Asian patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrial.gov database., Results: Three randomized controlled trials, including a total of 1552 patients, met our inclusion criteria. Study countries included Japan, South Korea, and China. All studies defined primary efficacy endpoint and major bleeding events in accordance with the PLATO definition. Ticagrelor was associated with a numerically lower, albeit statistically nonsignificant, risk of primary efficacy endpoint defined as a composite of death from vascular causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke (odds ratio 0.84; 95% confidence interval 0.43-1.63; p = 0.60). Ticagrelor was associated with a significantly higher risk of PLATO-defined major bleeding compared to clopidogrel (odds ratio 1.52; 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.23; p = 0.03)., Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that ticagrelor was associated with a higher risk of major bleeding compared to clopidogrel in East Asian patients with ACS. Further studies evaluating the role of ticagrelor in management of ACS in East Asian patients are warranted., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: ST-segment elevation in lead aVR predicts left main and/or three-vessel disease (LM/3VD) in patients with acute coronary syndromes. ST-segment elevation in lead aVR is generally reciprocal to and accompanied by ST-segment depression in precordial leads. Previous studies have assessed the independent predictive value of ST-segment elevation in lead aVR for LM/3VD in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and have reported conflicting results., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 379 patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Electrocardiograms on presentation were reviewed especially for ST-segment elevation ≥0.05 mV in lead aVR and ST-segment depression ≥0.05 mV in more than two contiguous leads in any other leads., Results: Among 379 patients, 97 (26%) patients had ST-segment elevation in lead aVR and 88 (23%) patients had LM/3VD. Patients with ST-segment elevation in lead aVR had a higher rate of LM/3VD (39% vs. 18%; P < 0.001) and in-hospital revascularization (73% vs. 60%; P = 0.02) driven by a higher rate of in-hospital coronary artery bypass grafting (19% vs. 7%; P < 0.001) than those without ST-segment elevation in lead aVR. On multivariate analysis, ST-segment elevation in lead aVR (odds ratio [OR] 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-3.77; P = 0.02) and ST-segment depression in leads V1 -V4 (OR 2.99; 95% CI 1.46-6.15; P = 0.003) were independent predictors of LM/3VD., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that ST-segment elevation in lead aVR is an independent predictor of LM/3VD in patients with NSTEMI., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is definitively diagnosed following the exclusion of acute coronary syndrome. We aimed to examine the rate of coronary angiography in patients diagnosed with TC and also the outcome of patients with TC diagnosed with or without coronary angiography. We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample database from 2010 to 2014 and identified patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of TC. We compared in-hospital mortality between patients who underwent coronary angiography and those who did not. We also evaluated the association between coronary angiography and in-hospital mortality using a propensity score–adjusted multivariable analysis. Among 22 818 patients diagnosed with TC, 87.4% underwent coronary angiography and 12.6% did not. Patients who did not undergo coronary angiography had a higher in-hospital mortality than those who did (3.0% vs 0.9%; P < .001). Increased mortality in patients who did not undergo coronary angiogram was observed in both male (8.0% vs 2.8%; P = .03) and female patients (2.6% vs 0.7%; P < .001) and in patients 61 to 80 years old and ≥81 years old, but not in patients ≤60 years old. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the lack of coronary angiography was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 2.92; 95% confidence interval: 1.52-5.65; P = .001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which is conduct for the identification of the location of infarct-related artery in patient with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). It mentions the relation of mean platelet volume for the prediction of myocardial infarction and prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome. It also mentions that the retrospective analysis of patients with NSTEMI who had undergone coronary angiography.

Background/purpose: Patients with acute coronary syndrome due to left main and/or three-vessel disease (LM/3VD) are at the highest risk of short- and long-term adverse cardiovascular events. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown to predict the severity of coronary artery disease in various clinical settings, but its independent predictive value for LM/3VD has not been investigated in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). We aimed to evaluate the independent predictive value of NLR for LM/3VD in NSTEMI patients.Methods/materials: We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive NSTEMI patients who underwent coronary angiography. NLR was calculated as the ratio of neutrophil to lymphocyte based on the laboratory data on admission. The primary outcome was the presence of LM/3VD.Results: In all, 396 patients were included in the final analysis. Median NLR in the entire study population was 3.43 (interquartile range, 2.12-5.51). By receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value of NLR in predicting LM/3VD was 2.80 (area under the curve 0.60, sensitivity 73%, specificity 43%). Of the 396 patients, 244 patients (62%) had NLR ≥2.8. Patients with NLR ≥2.8 were older and had a higher prevalence of LM/3VD (30 % vs. 18%, p=0.005). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, NLR ≥2.8 was an independent predictor of LM/3VD after adjusting for other clinical variables including ST depression and ST elevation in lead aVR (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.07-3.21, p=0.03).Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that NLR ≥2.8 is an independent predictor of LM/3VD in patients with NSTEMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]