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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fractional flow reserve (FFR)–guided revascularization compared with culprit-only percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) on infarct size, left ventricular (LV), function, LV remodeling, and the presence of nonculprit infarctions. Patients with STEMI with multivessel disease might have improved clinical outcomes after complete revascularization compared with PCI of the infarct-related artery only, but the impact on infarct size, LV function, and remodeling as well as the risk for periprocedural infarction are unknown. In this substudy of the DANAMI-3 (Third Danish Trial in Acute Myocardial Infarction)–PRIMULTI (Primary PCI in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Disease: Treatment of Culprit Lesion Only or Complete Revascularization) randomized trial, patients with STEMI with multivessel disease were randomized to receive either complete FFR-guided revascularization or PCI of the culprit vessel only. The patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during index admission and at 3-month follow-up. A total of 280 patients (136 patients with infarct-related and 144 with complete FFR-guided revascularization) were included. There were no differences in final infarct size (median 12% [interquartile range: 5% to 19%] vs. 11% [interquartile range: 4% to 18%]; p = 0.62), myocardial salvage index (median 0.71 [interquartile range: 0.54 to 0.89] vs. 0.66 [interquartile range: 0.55 to 0.87]; p = 0.49), LV ejection fraction (mean 58 ± 9% vs. 59 ± 9%; p = 0.39), and LV end-systolic volume remodeling (mean 7 ± 22 ml vs. 7 ± 19 ml; p = 0.63). New nonculprit infarction occurring after the nonculprit intervention was numerically more frequent among patients treated with complete revascularization (6 [4.5%] vs. 1 [0.8%]; p = 0.12). Complete FFR-guided revascularization in patients with STEMI and multivessel disease did not affect final infarct size, LV function, or remodeling compared with culprit-only PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Early reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is essential. Although primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is the preferred revascularization technique, it often involves longer primary transportation or secondary inter-hospital transfers and thus longer system related delays. The current ESC Guidelines state that PCI should be performed within 120minutes from first medical contact, and door-to-balloon time should be <60minutes in order to reduce long term mortality. STEMI networks should be established with regionalization of pPCI treatment to address the challenges regarding pre-hospital treatment, triage and transport of STEMI patients and collaborations between hospitals and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). We report on a regional decade long experience from one of Europe's largest STEMI networks located in Eastern Denmark, which serves a catchment area of 2.5 million inhabitants by processing ~4000 prehospital ECGs annually transmitted from 4 EMS systems to a single pPCI center treating 1100 patients per year. This organization has led to a significant improvement of the standard of therapy for acute myocardial infarction (MI) patients leading to historically low 30-day mortality for STEMI patients (<6%). About 70–80% of all STEMI patients are being triaged from the field and rerouted to the regional pPCI center. Significant delays are still found among patients who present to local hospitals and for those who are first admitted to a local emergency room and thus subject to inter-hospital transfer. In the directly transferred group, approximately 80% of patients can be treated within the current guideline time window of 120minutes when triaged within a 185km (~115 miles) radius. Since 2010, a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service has been implemented for air rescue. Air transfer was associated with a 20–30minute decrease from first medical contact to pPCI, at distances down to 90km from the pPCI center and with a trend toward better survival among air transported patients. The pPCI center also serves a small island in the Baltic Sea, where STEMI patients are rescued via air force helicopters. Based on data from more than 100 patients transferred over the past decade, we have found a similar in-hospital and long term mortality rate compared to the main island inhabitants. In conclusion, with the optimal collaboration within a STEMI network including local hospitals, university clinics, EMS and military helicopters using the same telemedicine system and field triage of STEMI patients, most patients can be treated within the time limits suggested by the current guidelines. These organizational changes are likely to contribute to the improved mortality rate for STEMI patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims The left atrium (LA) transfers blood to the left ventricle in a complex manner. LA function is characterized by passive emptying (LA passive fraction), active emptying (LA ejection fraction), and total emptying (LA fractional change). Despite this complexity, the clinical relevance of the LA is based almost exclusively on LA maximal volume (LAmax), which may not glean the full prognostic potential. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered the most accurate method for studying LA function and size. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic importance of LA function in patients following ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and results In 199 patients, a CMR scan was performed within 1–3 days after STEMI to measure LAmax and minimal volume (LAmin) and LA function. The incidence of death, re-infarction, stroke, and admission for heart failure [major adverse cardiac event (MACE)] were registered during the follow-up period [2.3 years (inter-quartile range: 2.0–2.5)]. A total of 40 patients (20%) met the clinical endpoint of MACE during follow-up. In a Cox regression analysis adjusting for known risk factors, LA fractional change remained independently associated with MACE [adjusted hazard ratio: 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.46–0.95)]. LAmax, LAmin, or LA passive fraction was not independently associated with MACE. Furthermore, LA fractional change provided incremental prognostic value to LAmax and other known predictors (Wald χ2 31.0 vs. 39.9, P= 0.016). Conclusion In STEMI patients, impaired LA fractional change is independently associated with outcome and provide incremental prognostic information to established predictors including LAmax. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims Exenatide, a glucagon-like-peptide-1 analogue, increases myocardial salvage in experimental settings with coronary occlusion and subsequent reperfusion. We evaluated the cardioprotective effect of exenatide at the time of reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Methods and results A total of 172 patients with STEMI and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction flow 0/1 were randomly assigned to exenatide or placebo (saline) intravenously. Study treatment was commenced 15 min before intervention and maintained for 6 h after the procedure. The primary endpoint was salvage index calculated from myocardial area at risk (AAR), measured in the acute phase, and final infarct size measured 90 ± 21 days after pPCI by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). In 105 patients evaluated with CMR, a significantly larger salvage index was found in the exenatide group than in the placebo group (0.71 ± 0.13 vs. 0.62 ± 0.16; P= 0.003). Infarct size in relation to AAR was also smaller in the exenatide group (0.30 ± 0.15 vs. 0.39 ± 0.15; P= 0.003). In a regression analysis, there was a significant correlation between the infarct size and the AAR for both treatment groups and an analysis of covariance showed that datapoints in the exenatide group lay significantly lower than for the placebo group (P= 0.011). There was a trend towards smaller absolute infarct size in the exenatide group (13 ± 9 vs. 17 ± 14 g; P= 0.11). No difference was observed in left ventricular function or 30-day clinical events. No adverse effects of exenatide were observed. Conclusion In patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI, administration of exenatide at the time of reperfusion increases myocardial salvage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Short-term mortality has been studied thoroughly in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), whereas long-term cause of death in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains unknown. Objectives The goal of this study was to describe the association between time and cause of death in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Methods A centralized civil registration system, patient files, and public disease and death cause registries with an accurate record linkage were used to trace time and cause of death in 2,804 consecutive patients with STEMI (age 63 ± 13 years, 72% males) treated with primary PCI. Results Patients were followed up for a median of 4.7 years. During a total of 13,447 patient-years, 717 patients died. Main causes of death within the first 30 days were cardiogenic shock and anoxic brain injury after cardiac arrest. Age, culprit vessel size and flow, and the presence of heart failure and diabetes were independent predictors of mortality. After 30 days, the annual cardiac mortality rate was <1.5%. Causes of death beyond 30 days were noncardiac in 65% of cases (mainly malignancies and pulmonary diseases). The 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year all-cause (and cardiac) mortality rates were 7.9% (7.3%), 11.4% (8.4%), and 23.3% (13.8%), respectively. Conclusions Patients who survive the first month after an STEMI treated with primary PCI have an excellent prognosis, with a <1.5% annual risk of successive cardiac death. Noncardiac causes are responsible for the majority of later deaths in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]