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Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in young people are rare. The data regarding differences in symptoms in relation to age are scarce, which may have an influence on outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the clinical course of ACS between younger women (≤45 years old) and older women (63-64 years old). We compared 7481 women with ACS from the Polish Registry of ACS between 2007 and 2014 (1834 women aged ≤45 years and 5647 women aged 63-64 years). The predominant symptom of ACS in both groups was chest pain, with a higher incidence occurring in younger women (90.4% vs 88.5%, P = 0.025). Prehospital cardiac arrest occurred more often in younger women (2.1% vs 0.8%, P < 0.001), and onset-to-balloon time was shorter (8.9 vs 15.2 hours, P < 0.0001) in this group. Younger women presented with a lower Killip class at admission (class I at admission: 92.7% vs 86.2%, P < 0.001). The dominant type of ACS in the younger cohort was ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (42% vs 26.1%), localized mainly in the anterior wall (47.7% vs 36.1%, P < 0.001), with a higher percentage of total occlusion of infarct-related artery (TIMI 0, 45.2% vs 36.1%) and left anterior descending artery engagement for all (33.5% vs 26.5%, P < 0.001). Drug-eluting stents were often used in the younger patients (43.3% vs 38.2%, P = 0.003) without significant differences in percutaneous coronary intervention numbers. Pharmacotherapy was used less in younger women. The 30-day and 2-year mortality in young women was lower than in the older cohort. The clinical course of ACS in younger women differed in comparison to older women. Younger women had a higher occurrence of typical chest pain, STEMI, and left anterior descending artery engagement. Except STEMI patients young women received faster revascularization, however with no significant differences in invasive treatment. Pharmacotherapy was inadequate in younger women and that resulted in a lower usage of the beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and statins in that group. Short- and long-term mortality was low, regardless of the type of ACS., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Given that up to 2% of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) are young women, the purpose of this study was to evaluate factors affecting outcomes in young women with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) aged less than or equal to 45 years. We evaluated 796 women with STEMI aged less than or equal to 45 years between 2007 and 2014, and mortality was 4.0%. Death occurred more often in women with prehospital sudden cardiac arrest, and severe symptoms of heart failure; less commonly, the women were subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with a higher rate of incomplete revascularization. Beta blockers (BB) and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors were frequently used in the survivor group. The independent predictor of 30-day mortality was as follows: inability to undergo PCI (odds ratio [OR] 4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45-14.76, P = 0.009), sudden cardiac arrest (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.5-18.3, P = 0.04). An increase in systolic blood pressure for every 5 mm Hg was associated with lower mortality, OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.76-0.97 in patients without cardiogenic shock (CS) and OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.61-0.78, P < 0.0001 in the group with CS. Predictors for 1-year mortality were the inability to undergo PCI (hazard ratio [HR] 84, 95% CI 1.6-43.1, P = 0.01) and CS (HR 6.97, 95% CI 1.39-34.7, P = 0.01). An increase of 5% in left ventricular ejection fraction reduced the mortality rate for 60% (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.26-0.63, P < 0.0001) and an increase in systolic blood pressure for every 5 mm Hg reduced mortality for 34% (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.52-0.84, P = 0.02). Both short- and long-term outcomes in young women aged less than or equal to 45 years with STEMI are good. The strongest predictor for both 30-day and 1-year mortality was the inability to undergo PCI. Suboptimal use of beta blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors affect the outcomes in young women. Hypotension in the acute phase of MI increased mortality in young women, independent of coexisting CS., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Nowadays, the majority of patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI) are treated with primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). In recent years, there have been ongoing improvements in PCI techniques, devices and concomitant pharmacotherapy. However, reports on further mortality reduction among PCI-treated STEMI patients remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to compare changes in management and mortality in PCI-treated STEMI patients between 2005 and 2011 in a real-life setting., Methods: Data on 79,522 PCI-treated patients with STEMI from Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) admitted to Polish hospitals between 2005 and 2011 were analyzed. First, temporal trends of in-hospital management in men and women were presented. In the next step, patients from 2005 and 2011 were nearest neighbor matched on their propensity scores to compare in-hospital, 30-day and 1-year mortality rates and in-hospital management strategies and complications., Results: Some significant changes were noted in hospital management including shortening of median times from admission to PCI, increased use of drug-eluting stents, potent antiplatelet agents but also less frequent use of statin, beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers. There was a strong tendency toward preforming additional PCI of non-infarct related arteries, especially in women. After propensity score adjustment there were significant changes in inhospital but not in 30-day or 1-year mortality rates between 2005 and 2011. The results were similar in men and women., Conclusions: There were apparent changes in management and significant in-hospital mortality reductions in PCI-treated STEMI patients between 2005 and 2011. However, it did not result in 30-day or 1-year survival benefit at a population level. There may be room for improvement in the use of guideline-recommended pharmacotherapy.

Introduction: The prevalence of total coronary occlusion of an infarct‑related artery (IRA) and its impact on the outcome can differ between patients with non‑ST‑elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and those with ST‑segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Objectives: We evaluated the impact of IRA occlusion on the outcome of myocardial infarction according to the presence or absence of ST‑segment elevation and the location of the culprit lesion., Patients and Methods: We analyzed 4581 patients with STEMI and 2717 patients with NSTEMI who underwent PCI and were enrolled in the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes. Patients were divided into 3 cohorts depending on the IRA: left anterior descending artery (LAD), left circumflex artery (LCx), or right coronary artery (RCA). Patients were further divided according to preprocedural Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow to either a subgroup with total occlusion (TO; TIMI flow grade, 0) or a subgroup with incomplete occlusion (nTO; TIMI flow grade ≥1)., Results: TO was observed in 2949 patients (64.4%) with STEMI and 723 patients (26.6%) with NSTEMI. The most common IRAs were the RCA (49.4%) and LCx (48.4%) in the STEMI and NSTEMI groups, respectively. STEMI patients with TO of the LAD showed higher mortality during the 36‑month follow‑up; mortality in the NSTEMI group was comparable between patients with TO and nTO. STEMI and NSTEMI groups with TO of the LCx showed higher in‑hospital mortality. No differences were observed between patients with TO and nTO of the RCA., Conclusions: Totally occluded IRA (TIMI flow grade 0) on baseline angiogram was not associated with higher 36‑month mortality rates after both NSTEMI and STEMI treated with PCI in comparison with patients with patent IRA except for totally occluded LAD in STEMI.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the influence of direct admission versus transfer via regional hospital to a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) center on time delays and 12-month mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients from a real-life perspective., Background: Reduction of delays to reperfusion is crucial in a STEMI system of care. However, it is still debated whether direct admission to a PCI center is superior to interhospital transfer in terms of long-term prognosis. The authors hypothesized that compared with interhospital transfer, direct admission shortens the total ischemic time, limits the loss of left ventricular systolic function, and finally, reduces 12-month mortality., Methods: Prospective nationwide registry data of STEMI patients admitted to PCI centers within 12 h of symptom onset and treated with PCI between 2006 and 2013 were analyzed. Patients admitted directly were compared with patients transferred to a PCI center via a regional non-PCI-capable facility in terms of time delays, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and 12-month mortality. Data were adjusted using propensity-matched and multivariate Cox analyses., Results: Of the 70,093 patients eligible for analysis, 39,144 (56%) were admitted directly to a PCI center. Direct admission was associated with a shorter median symptoms-to-admission time (by 44 min; p < 0.001) and total ischemic time (228 vs. 270 min; p < 0.001), higher LVEF (47.5% vs. 46.3%; p < 0.001), and lower propensity-matched 12-month mortality (9.6% vs. 10.4%; p < 0.001). In propensity-matched multivariate Cox analysis, direct admission (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01 to 1.11) and shorter symptoms-to-admission time (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.06) were significant predictors of lower 12-month mortality., Conclusions: In a large, community-based cohort of patients with STEMI treated by PCI, direct admission to a primary PCI center was associated with lower 12-month mortality and should be preferred to transfer via a regional non-PCI-capable facility., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: The specific association between genetic variation and in-stent restenosis is still only partly understood. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between functional polymorphisms in the genes encoding vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A; rs699947) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF- β 1; rs1800470) and target lesion revascularization (TLR) risk., Methods: A total of 676 patients (805 lesions) with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) who received elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with at least one bare-metal stent implantation were included. The primary study endpoint was TLR at a 4-year follow-up., Results: The TLR rate was higher in patients with the VEGFA A/A genotype (15.4%) than in patients with the VEGFA A/C (7.9%) and C/C (8.9%) genotypes ( p = 0.009). The VEGFA A/A genotype, after adjustment for clinical and procedural covariates, remained significantly and independently associated with the TLR (hazard ratio-2.09 [95% confidence interval 1.32-3.33, p = 0.0017]). However, we found no association between TLR and the TGFB1 genotype., Conclusion: The VEGFA A/A genotype is significantly and independently associated with TLR risk in Polish SCAD patients who received elective PCI with bare-metal stent implantation.

Background: The impact of final Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow in the infarct-related artery (IRA) on outcomes in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarc-tion (NSTEMI) patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of post-procedural TIMI flow in IRA on outcomes in NSTEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary revascularization., Methods: We analyzed 2,767 patients with first NSTEMI from the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) who underwent PCI. The patients were divided according to post-procedural culprit vessel TIMI (0-1: 90, 3.26%; 2: 61, 2.20%; 3: 2,616, 94.54%)., Results: The following mortality values were obtained in TIMI 0-1, 2, and 3 groups, respec-tively: in-hospital, 12.22%, 13.11%, 1.72% (p < 0.0001); 1-month, 13.33%, 13.11%, 3.44% (p < 0.0001); 12-month, 15.56%, 16.39%, 6.50% (p < 0.0001); 36-month, 25.56%, 21.31%, 13.91% (p = 0.0007). Mortality rates in patients with final TIMI 0-1 and 2 were not signifi-cantly different. Optimal TIMI 3 was independently associated with baseline TIMI 2-3 (OR ± ± 95% CI: 7.070 [4.35-11.82]), p < 0.0001; higher ejection fraction (1.30 [1.03-1.63]), p = 0.0038; and family history of coronary artery disease (2.83 [1.17-8.11]), p = 0.0294. Type C lesion, previous heart failure, and PCI without stenting independently predicted suboptimal TIMI 0-2., Conclusions: Only achieving final TIMI 3 in IRA improves outcomes in NSTEMI patients treated with percutaneous coronary revascularization. The mortality rate of near-normal TIMI 2 is comparable to that of TIMI 0-1 after PCI. (.

Background: Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for evaluating therapy; however, controversy exists regarding the applicability of such results to daily practice, as patients are often pre-selected and may not reflect real-world clinical settings. We studied the eligibility criteria for 3102 "real-life" patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) according to the ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial exclusion criteria. The aim of our analysis was to estimate the percentage of real-life patients who would have met the exclusion criteria for the ISCHEMIA trial., Methods: We analyzed 3102 patients with SCAD referred to the Silesian Center for Heart Disease who underwent both coronary angiography and stent implantation between January 2006 and December 2011. The patients were divided into two groups. Group A was composed of patients with SCAD who would have been excluded from the ongoing ISCHEMIA trial, whereas group B represented the remaining patients., Results: A total of 1900 (61.3%) patients met at least one of the exclusion criteria. The most frequent exclusion criterion noted was revascularization within the previous 12 months (938 patients; 49.4%), followed by unacceptable level of angina symptoms (532 patients; 28 %), low ejection fraction (467 patients; 24.6%), and acute coronary syndrome within the previous 2 months (456 patients; 24%). Patients from our cohort who would have been excluded from the ISCHEMIA trial were older, had more comorbidities, and experienced worse long-term outcomes., Conclusions: The ISCHEMIA trial exclusion criteria ruled out the majority of the patients with SCAD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in "real life". Our cohort of patients who would have been excluded from the ISCHEMIA trial had more comorbidities and experienced significantly worse long-term outcomes than patients who did not meet the ISCHEMIA trial exclusion criteria., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01471522.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MVCAD) referred for standard coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)., Background: Conventional CABG is still the treatment of choice in patients with MVCAD. However, the limitations of standard CABG and the unsatisfactory long-term patency of saphenous grafts are commonly known., Methods: A total of 200 patients with MVCAD involving the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and a critical (>70%) lesion in at least 1 major epicardial vessel (except the LAD) amenable to both PCI and CABG and referred for conventional surgical revascularization were randomly assigned to undergo HCR or CABG (in a 1:1 ratio). The primary endpoint was the evaluation of the safety of HCR. The feasibility was defined by the percent of patients with a complete HCR procedure and the percent of patients with conversions to standard CABG. The occurrence of major adverse cardiac events such as death, myocardial infarction, stroke, repeated revascularization, and major bleeding within the 12-month period after randomization was also assessed., Results: Most of the pre-procedural characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. Of the patients in the hybrid group, 93.9% had complete HCR and 6.1% patients were converted to standard CABG. At 12 months, the rates of death (2.0% vs. 2.9 %, p = NS), myocardial infarction (6.1% vs. 3.9%, p = NS), major bleeding (2% vs. 2%, p = NS), and repeat revascularization (2% vs. 0%, p = NS) were similar in the 2 groups. In both groups, no cerebrovascular incidents were observed., Conclusions: HCR is feasible in select patients with MVCAD referred for conventional CABG. (Safety and Efficacy Study of Hybrid Revascularization in Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease [POL-MIDES]; NCT01035567)., (Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We aimed to compare the characteristics and in-hospital and 12-month outcomes in patients aged>40 and <40 years with acute coronary syndrome. The analysis involved 789 patients aged<40 years and 63,057 patients aged≥40 years enrolled in the ongoing Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes from October 2003 to December 2009. Patients aged<40 years with acute coronary syndrome differed from older patients in their clinical characteristics, treatment, and clinical outcome. The older patients more frequently had pulmonary edema (2.9% vs 0.4%, p<0.0001) and cardiogenic shock (4.7% vs 2.8%, p=0.011) on admission. For the younger patients, coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention were performed more often (71.5% vs 60.5%, p<0.0001 and 51.5% vs 47.7%, p=0.04, respectively). The younger patients had a lower mortality rate than the older patients during hospitalization (1.5% vs 5.2%, p<0.0001) and during 12-month follow-up period (4.1% vs 13.4%, p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that age<40 years was one of the strongest factors associated with lower mortality during the 12 months after discharge (hazard ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.29 to 0.62, p<0.0001). In conclusion, younger patients had more favorable in-hospital and 1-year outcomes than older patients, and the age<40 years was revealed to be one of the strongest factors associated with lower mortality during the 1-year follow-up., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The aim was to assess the predictive value of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using two formulas: modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) and chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI), in a population with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI)., Methods: The analyzed cohort included 3,141 consecutive patients with SCAD who underwent PCI, between January 2006 and December 2011. Follow-up data were available for 3,123 (99.4 %) patients., Results: The median follow-up was 1,127 days (interquartile range 566-1,634 days). During the observation period, 330 deaths were reported. In patients with serum creatinine (S-Cr) within normal range, eGFR by CKD-EPI equation predicted long-term outcome more accurately, than eGFR by MDRD formula-continuous Net Reclassification Improvement: 0.296 (95 % CI, 0.08-0.5 p = 0.03). In patients with elevated S-CR, eGFR calculated by both formulae had similar efficacy in assessing death risk. After adjustment for differences in clinical characteristics, both formulae were associated with mortality, but only in patients with elevated S-Cr: eGFR by MDRD (per 10 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) HR: 0.74 [95 % CI, 0.61-0.89, p = 0.002], eGFR by CKD-EPI (per 10 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) HR: 0.75 (95 % CI, 0.63-0.89, p = 0.001). After adjustment for covariates, eGFR by CKD-EPI equation did not offer more appropriate categorization of individuals with respect to long-term mortality., Conclusion: Our results indicate that in multivariable analysis eGFR calculated by MDRD and CKD-EPI equations has similar predictive value. In a population of patients with SCAD and S-Cr within normal range, eGFR calculated by CKD-EPI equation outperforms eGFR calculated by MDRD equation in assessing death risk.

Background: Three-vessel coronary artery disease is associated with high mortality in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). The purpose of this study was to assess the impact on 12-month mortality of chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the non-infarct-related artery (non-IRA), as assessed by coronary angiography during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for NSTEMI, of patients with 3-vessel disease., Methods: The study included all of the NSTEMI patients with 3-vessel disease by coronary angiogram who were treated by PCI and who were registered in the prospective Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) from July 2007 to November 2009. The patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting and those with significant stenosis of the left main coronary artery were excluded. The 12-month mortality was obtained from a government database., Results: Of the 925 patients fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 438 (47.4%) patients had 1 or more CTO of a major non-IRA coronary artery (+CTO), and 487 (52.6%) patients had 3-vessel disease without CTO (-CTO). The in-hospital mortality for the +CTO and -CTO patients was 5.3% and 2.1%, respectively (p=0.009), whilst the 12-month mortality was 21.1% and 11.9%, respectively (p=0.0001). After multivariate adjustment for differences in the baseline characteristics, the presence of CTO remained significantly associated with higher 12-month mortality (relative risk=1.42, 95%CI=1.01-2.00, p=0.047)., Conclusions: The presence of CTO in non-IRA in patients with NSTEMI and 3-vessel coronary disease predicts higher 12-month mortality., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mortality of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with cardiogenic shock (CS) on admission remains high despite invasive treatment. The aim of this analysis was to assess the relationship between the infarct-related artery (IRA) and the early and 12-month outcomes of patients with STEMI and CS treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Methods: Two thousand ninety patients with STEMI and CS registered in the prospective Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes from October 2003 to November 2009 were included., Results: The in-hospital mortality in the left main (LM), left anterior descending artery (LAD), circumflex artery (Cx), and right coronary artery (RCA) groups was 64.7%, 41.0%, 36.0%, and 30.8%, respectively, with p<0.0001. The 12-month mortality in the LM, LAD, Cx, and RCA groups was 77.7%, 58.2%, 55.1%, and 45.0%, respectively, with p<0.0001. After multivariate adjustment, LM as the IRA was significantly associated with higher 12-month mortality (hazard ratio=1.71, 95% confidence interval=1.28-2.27, p=0.0002)., Conclusions: In-hospital and long-term mortality of patients with STEMI and CS treated by PCI are significantly correlated to the IRA, being highest for LM and lowest for RCA., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Impaired renal function is a marker of poor prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of the study was to assess the incidence and independent predictors of stroke in population of patients with AMI treated invasively and concomitant impaired renal function (IRF)., Methods: We analyzed 2,520 consecutive AMI patients admitted to our Center between 2003 and 2007 and treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. The whole population was divided into patients with IRF, defined as glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or contrast induced nephropathy (IRF group, n = 933; 37.02%) and patients without IRF (control group, n = 1587; 62.98%). The IRF group was subjected to further analysis. Data on long-term follow-up were screened to identify the patients who experienced stroke., Results: During median of 25.5 months of follow-up 52 (2.07%) the patients experienced stroke - 33 (3.54%) in the IRF group and 19 (1.2%) patients in the control group. The risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in the IRF group, including repeated AMI (68.8 vs.14.9%, p < 0.001) and death (45.5 vs. 25.1%, p < 0.05) was significantly higher in patients with stroke. Previous stroke (HR 6.85), female gender (HR 3.13), as well as STEMI anterior (HR 2.55) were independent risk factors of stroke in this population., Conclusions: Patients with AMI treated invasively and concomitant IRF were at higher risk of stroke occurrence in the future. Stroke was associated with poor outcome in the studied population. Independent predictors of stroke in patients with IRF and AMI treated invasively were different from commonly recognized stroke predictors.

Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion can be lifesaving. However, in many clinical cases, including acute coronary syndromes, percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), cardiac surgery, and acute critical care, detrimental effects (excess death and myocardial infarction [MI], and also lung infections) have been observed in patients after a RBC transfusion., Aim: To evaluate the long-term impact on the prognosis of patients who received a RBC transfusion after PCI for the treatment of ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI)., Methods: Between 1999 and 2004, 2,415 consecutive patients, with an STEMI treated with PCI, were included in the analysis. The patients were divided into two groups: 82 patients with a RBC transfusion (3.5%) and 2,333 without a RBC transfusion (96.5%)., Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 15.8% and 4.2% (p < 0.0001) and the five-year mortality rate was 42.7% and 19% (p < 0.0001) for patients who received and who did not receive a RBC transfusion, respectively. Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that, after correction for baseline differences, RBC transfusion was an independent predictor of five-year mortality in patients treated with PCI (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.0-2.1; p = 0.04)., Conclusions: Red blood cell transfusion is associated with higher five-year mortality in STEMI patients treated with PCI.

Background: The presence of normal thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) fl ow grade 3 before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with better outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of spontaneous reperfusion (SR) before PCI and its effect on the immediate and long-term outcomes in diabetic patients., Methods: A total of 1,850 patients with myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing primary PCI were enrolled and divided into 4 groups: (1) patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and initial TIMI < 3 fl ow (n = 491), (2) patients with DM and initial TIMI 3 fl ow (n = 48), (3) patients without DM and with initial TIMI < 3 fl ow (n = 1,196), (4) patients without DM and with initial TIMI 3 fl ow (n = 115)., Results: SR before PCI was similar in diabetic and non-diabetic patients (8.9% vs. 8.8%, p = 0.8). DM was not an independent predictor of either pre-procedural or post-procedural TIMI 3 flow. In-hospital mortality rate was the highest in group 1 and the lowest in group 4 (p < 0.0001). Death rates of patients from groups 2 and 3 were similar (approximately 8.3% each, p = 0.9). Non-diabetic patients had a higher 1-year survival rate than diabetic patients, irrespective of their initial TIMI fl ow., Conclusions: SR is associated with a similar post-PCI improvement in epicardial blood flow both in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. SR improves in-hospital survival of diabetic patients, which is similar to the survival of non-diabetic patients without SR. The benefi cial effect of SR in diabetic patients disappears during 1-year follow-up.

Background: Elderly patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) are rarely included in randomized trials due to concomitant diseases. As a result, invasive treatment and aggressive pharmacotherapy are used less frequently in this group. The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of invasive treatment used for elderly patients (≥ 80 years) with NSTEMI from 2003-2009 and its impact on 24-month outcomes., Methods: We performed analysis of 13,707 elderly patients, out of 78,422 total NSTEMI patients, enrolled in the prospective, nationwide, Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) from 2003 to 2009., Results: The percentage of elderly NSTEMI population was 17.5%. Invasive treatment received 24% of them. In-hospital complications (stroke, reinfarction and death) were significantly less frequent in the invasive group, with the exception of major bleeding, which occurred almost three times more frequently (2.9% vs. 1.1%, p < 0.0001) in the invasive group. The 24-month mortality was lower (29.4% vs. 50.4%, p < 0.0001) in the invasive group and remained so after matching patients by the propensity score method (31.1% vs. 40.9%, p < 0.0001). From 2003 to 2009 the use of thienopyridines, beta-blockers and statins rose significantly. The frequency of invasive strategy increased significantly, from 10% in to over 50% in 2009. The frequency of major bleeding increased twofold, however a significant reduction in the 24-month mortality was observed over the years., Conclusions: Elderly patients with NSTEMI benefit significantly from invasive strategies and modern pharmacotherapy recommended by treatment guidelines. Nevertheless, this approach is associated with an increased incidence of major bleeding.