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Introduction: It is unknown whether the cardiovascular risks associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use differ according to lifestyle and socioeconomic position. Objective: We examined the association between NSAID use and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) within subgroups defined by lifestyle and socioeconomic position. Methods: We conducted a case-crossover study of all adult first-time respondents to the Danish National Health Surveys of 2010, 2013, or 2017, without previous cardiovascular disease, who experienced a MACE from survey completion through 2020. We used a Mantel-Haenszel method to obtain odds ratios (ORs) of the association between NSAID use (ibuprofen, naproxen, or diclofenac) and MACE (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, heart failure, or all-cause death). We identified NSAID use and MACE via nationwide Danish health registries. We stratified the analyses by body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity level, marital status, education, income, and employment. Results: Compared with non-use, the OR of MACE was 1.34 (95% confidence interval: 1.23–1.46) for ibuprofen, 1.48 (1.04–2.43) for naproxen, and 2.18 (1.72–2.78) for diclofenac. When comparing NSAID use with non-use or the individual NSAIDs with each other, we observed no notable heterogeneity in the ORs within subgroups of lifestyle and socioeconomic position for any NSAID. Compared with ibuprofen, diclofenac was associated with increased risk of MACE in several subgroups with high cardiovascular risk, e.g., individuals with overweight (OR 1.52, 1.01–2.39) and smokers (OR 1.54, 0.96–2.46). Conclusions: The relative increase in cardiovascular risk associated with NSAID use was not modified by lifestyle or socioeconomic position.

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) and co-morbidities are increasing. The prognostic impact of interaction between co-morbidity and HF remains unknown. The purpose of the present study was to examine if HF interacts with co-morbidity burden to increase mortality. We conducted a cohort study of all adult Danish patients (aged ≥18 years) with a hospital inpatient or outpatient clinic diagnosis of HF (n = 252,726) between 1995 and 2016. We matched each patient with up to 3 members of the general population without a history of HF (n = 744,372). Noncardiac co-morbidities were assessed using the Charlson co-morbidity index and were defined by 4 categories of co-morbidity: 0 (none), 1 (low), 2 to 3 (moderate), and ≥4 (severe). Cardiac co-morbidities were assessed individually. Among patients with HF with severe co-morbidity, 42% of the mortality rate during 30 days of follow-up was explained by the interaction with co-morbidity. The interaction effect was also substantial in patients with moderate (31%) and low co-morbidity burden (16%). During 31 to 365 days of follow-up, interaction effects were 1% for low co-morbidity, 8% for moderate co-morbidity, and 22% for severe co-morbidity. Beyond 1 year of follow-up, no interaction effect was observed. With the exception of cardiomyopathy, cardiac co-morbidities did not interact substantially with HF during the first year of follow-up. During longer follow-up, pulmonary hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and endocarditis showed interaction. In conclusion, noncardiac co-morbidities had biological interaction with HF that increased short-term mortality substantially beyond the individual effects of HF and co-morbidity.

Introduction: Diclofenac has increased cardiovascular risks, but its risk profile compared with other COX-2 inhibitors remains unknown. Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the cardiovascular risks of diclofenac versus other older and newer COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs). Methods: Using Danish nationwide health registries (1999–2020), we conducted a series of emulated trials (n = 264). Eligible adults had no recent NSAID prescriptions, contraindications or conditions with low adherence. We included initiators of diclofenac (n = 1,600,202), meloxicam (n = 10,903), etodolac (n = 238,538), celecoxib (n = 77,591), and etoricoxib (n = 12,122). We computed the adjusted intention-to-treat incidence rate ratio (aIRR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) within 30 days of initiation (5562 events). Results: MACE was 20% increased among initiators of diclofenac compared with other older COX-2 inhibitors (aIRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10–1.28), driven by cardiac death (aIRR 1.57, 95% CI 1.21–2.03). The effect appeared strongest for women (aIRR 1.28, 95% CI 1.15–1.43), individuals with high baseline cardiovascular risk (aIRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.05–1.66), and when comparing high-dose diclofenac with low doses of the other older COX-2 inhibitors (aIRR 1.31, 95% CI 1.13–1.52). The results reflected increased rates compared with both meloxicam (aIRR 1.46, 95% CI 0.94–2.26) and etodolac (aIRR 1.18, 95% CI 1.09–1.28). Diclofenac initiators had similar increased rates of MACE compared with coxibs (aIRR 0.96, 95% CI 0.85–1.08), consistent for celecoxib (aIRR 1.02, 95% CI 0.88–1.19) and etoricoxib (aIRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.66–1.10). Conclusions: The increased cardiovascular risks associated with diclofenac initiation were higher than for other older COX-2 inhibitors (meloxicam/etodolac) and comparable to coxibs (celecoxib/etoricoxib).

Pulmonary embolism is a risk factor for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), but the prognostic impact of CTEPH on venous thromboembolism (VTE) mortality remains unclear. We examined the impact of CTEPH and other pulmonary hypertension (PH) subtypes on long-term mortality after VTE. We conducted a nationwide, population-based cohort study of all adult Danish patients alive 2 years after incident VTE without previous PH from 1995 to 2020 (n = 129,040). We used inverse probability of treatment weights in a Cox model to calculate standardized mortality rate ratios (SMRs) of the association between receiving a first-time PH diagnosis ≤2 years after incident VTE and mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer). We grouped PH as PH associated with left-sided cardiac disease (group II), PH associated with lung diseases and/or hypoxia (group III), CTEPH (group IV), and unclassified (remaining patients). Total follow-up was 858,954 years. The SMR associated with PH overall was 1.99 (95% confidence interval 1.75 to 2.27) for all-cause, 2.48 (1.90 to 3.23) for cardiovascular, and 0.84 (0.60 to 1.17) for cancer mortality. The SMR for all-cause mortality was 2.62 (1.77 to 3.88) for group II, 3.98 (2.85 to 5.56) for group III, 1.88 (1.11 to 3.20) for group IV, and 1.73 (1.47 to 2.04) for unclassified PH. The cardiovascular mortality rate was increased approximately threefold for groups II and III but was not increased for group IV. Only group III was associated with increased cancer mortality. In conclusion, PH diagnosed ≤2 years after incident VTE was associated with an overall twofold increased long-term mortality driven by cardiovascular causes.

Aims To examine the dose dependency of diclofenac's cardiovascular risks. Methods and results Using Danish health registries and the target trial emulation design, we conducted a series of 300 nationwide cohort studies during 1996–2020, each mimicking the strict design criteria of a clinical trial. Adults eligible for inclusion had no recent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescriptions, contraindications (gastrointestinal diseases, thrombocytopenia, or heart failure), or conditions with low adherence (dementia or psychiatric disease). Diclofenac initiators were compared to healthcare-seeking non-initiators and head-to-head using an approximated high dose of ≥150 mg/day vs. low dose of Conclusions Initiators of high- and low-dose diclofenac had comparably increased cardiovascular risks. This finding provides evidence against the assumption that low-dose diclofenac is risk-neutral.

BACKGROUND: A single high-sensitive cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) can be used to rule-out acute myocardial infarction (MI) in patients presenting >3 hours (3 h) after chest pain onset to the emergency department. This study aimed to investigate the safety of ruling-out MI in early presenters with chest pain ≤3 h using a single hs-cTnI at admission.METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients presenting with chest pain suggestive of MI. Hs-cTnI (Siemens ADVIA Centaur TNIH, Limit of detection: 2.2 ng/L) was measured at admission. Two physicians adjudicated final diagnosis. A diagnostic cut-off value 3 h).RESULTS: We included 1370 patients with available admission hs-cTnI results: median (Q1-Q3) age 65 (52-74), female sex: 43%, previous MI: 22%. We confirmed MI in 118 (8.6%) patients. Overall, 470 (34%) patients were classified as early, 770 (56%) as late presenters, and 130 (9%) patients had unknown onset. When applying the diagnostic cut-off value, MI was correctly ruled-out at admission in 370 (27%) patients: 134 (29%) early presenters, 206 (27%) late presenters and 30 (23%) patients with unknown onset. This resulted in an overall negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI: 99.0-100%), with both 100% (97.3-100%) for early and 100% (98.2-100%) for late presenters, respectively. Sensitivity was similarly high in the two groups.CONCLUSION: MI could be safely ruled-out in all patients presenting with chest pain ≤3 h when using a single hs-cTnI value TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03634384.

Aims Myocardial infarction (MI) with cardiogenic shock (CS) and/or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are conditions with potential loss of autonomy. In patients with MI, the association between CS and OHCA and need for home care or nursing home admission was examined. Methods and results Danish nationwide registries identified patients with MI (2008–19), who prior to the event lived at home without home care and discharged alive. One-year cumulative incidences and hazard ratios (HRs) were reported for home care need or nursing home admission, a composite proxy for disability in activities of daily living (ADL), along with all-cause mortality. The study population consisted of 67 109 patients with MI (by groups: −OHCA/−CS: 63 644; −OHCA/+CS: 1776; +OHCA/−CS: 968; and +OHCA/+CS: 721). The 1-year cumulative incidences of home care/nursing home were 7.1% for patients who survived to discharge with −OHCA/−CS, 20.9% for −OHCA/+CS, 5.4% for +OHCA/−CS, and 8.2% for those with +OHCA/+CS. The composite outcome was driven by home care. With the −OHCA/−CS as reference, the adjusted HRs for home care/nursing home were 2.86 (95% CI: 2.57–3.19) for patients with −OHCA/+CS; 1.31 (95% CI: 1.00–1.73) for + OHCA/−CS; and 2.18 (95% CI: 1.68–2.82) for those with +OHCA/+CS. The 1-year cumulative mortality were 5.1% for patients with −OHCA/−CS, 9.8% for −OHCA/+CS, 3.0% for +OHCA/−CS, and 3.4% for those with +OHCA/+CS. Conclusion In patients discharged alive after a MI, CS, and to a lesser degree OHCA were associated with impaired ADL with a two-fold higher 1-year incidence of home care or nursing home admission compared with MI patients without CS or OHCA.

Aim: To present the content, data quality, and research potential of the West Jutland Tele-Electrocardiogram Registry (WEJU-tECG). Methods: Danish patients reporting symptoms indicating heart disease in the prehospital setting are subjected to a 12-lead tele-electrocardiogram (ECG) in the ambulance, which is digitally sent to a local tele-centre. WEJU-tECG is a newly established Danish registry containing information from the individual tele-ECGs received at the Regional Hospital West Jutland tele-centre. Results: WEJU-tECG holds extracted information from all tele-ECGs with a valid Civil Personal Register number between 2011 and 2020. WEJU-tECG contains information on patient characteristics, tele-ECG data (including a computerised tele-ECG interpretation), vital signs, and time information. A unique Civil Personal Register number allows individual-level linkage between WEJU-tECG and other Danish registries and enables complete follow-up. WEJU-tECG contains 43,696 tele-ECGs from 29,489 different patient contacts among 20,280 different patients. WEJU-tECG contains 5566 patients with ST-segment deviations. The median age is 67 years and 45% are women. Completeness is highest for time information (100% for all variables), tele-ECG data (99% for heart rate, the specific intervals and axes, and QRS duration, and 86% for J-point deviation), and patient characteristics (100% for all variables). Completeness is lowest for vital signs (13% for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure, and 12% for blood oxygen saturation). The computerised tele-ECG interpretation had a negative predictive value of 80% for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 94% for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and a positive predictive value of 45% for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 32% for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Conclusions: WEJU-tECG is a novel population-based tele-ECG registry with high research potential.

Aims An accelerated diagnostic algorithm for ruling-in or ruling-out myocardial infarction (MI) after 1 hour (1 h) has recently been derived and internally validated for the Siemens ADVIA Centaur TNIH assay. We aimed to validate the diagnostic performance of the TNIH 0 h/1 h algorithm ad modum Boeddinghaus in a Danish cohort. Methods and results Patients with chest pain suggestive of MI were prospectively enrolled. High-sensitive troponin I (TNIH) was measured at admission (0 h) and after 30 minutes (30 m), 1 h, and 3 hours (3 h). We externally validated the TNIH 0 h/1 h algorithm ad modum Boeddinghaus in Danish patients. Moreover, we applied the algorithm using the second TNIH measurement at 30 m instead of 1 h. We enrolled 1003 patients: median (Q1–Q3) age 64 (52–74) years, 42% female, and 23% with previous MI. Myocardial infarction was the final diagnosis in 9% of patients. Median (Q1–Q3) times from admission to 30 m and 1 h blood draw were 35 min (30–37 min) and 67 min (62–75 min), respectively. Using the 0 h and 1 h results, 468 (47%) patients were assigned to rule-out, 104 (10%) to rule-in, and 431 (43%) to the observational zone. This resulted in a negative predictive value of 100% (95% confidence interval: 99.2–100%), sensitivity of 100% (95.9–100%), positive predictive value of 79.8 (70.8–87.0%), and specificity of 97.7% (96.5–98.6%). The diagnostic performance after 30 m was similar. Conclusions The TNIH 0 h/1 h algorithm ad modum Boeddinghaus performed excellently for rule-out of MI in a Danish cohort. The Boeddinghaus algorithm also performed excellently after only 30 m. Trial registration number NCT03634384. Trial registry name and URL Rapid Use of High-Sensitive Cardiac Troponin I for Ruling-in and Ruling-out Acute Myocardial Infarction (RACING-MI), https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03634384.

Natascha Gaster,1 Jesper Hallas,2 Anton Pottegård,2 Søren Friis,3 Morten Schmidt1,4 1Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; 3Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark; 4Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkCorrespondence: Natascha GasterDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, Aarhus N, DK-8200, DenmarkTel +45 87168063Fax +45 87167215Email ng@clin.au.dkPurpose: To evaluate the potential of Danish prescription registries to capture aspirin and non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and to quantitatively evaluate the magnitude of bias from misclassification of true NSAID and aspirin use as apparent non-use in drug outcome studies.Patients and Methods: In a population-based cohort study, we retrieved sales statistics for NSAIDs and aspirins based on nationwide data from the Danish Health Data Authority and the Danish National Prescription Registry. We estimated prevalence of recorded and non-recorded NSAID use in the prescription registry and resulting proportions of true NSAID and aspirin use misclassified as apparent non-use from 1999 to 2019 at population and patient levels.Results: The prevalence of true use misclassified as non-use (mainly due to over-the-counter use) peaked at 4.7% in 2012 for NSAIDs overall, 5.5% in 2012 for ibuprofen, and at 5.9% in 2002 for high-dose aspirin. Misclassification of other individual NSAIDs was near null. Misclassification of true low-dose aspirin use as non-use declined during the study period but remained around 1% since 2005. In subgroups of cardiac patients, the highest prevalence of true NSAID use misclassified as non-use was 5.0% in 2002 and 4.3% in 2017. Quantitative bias analyses showed how such misclassification of true NSAID and aspirin use as non-use remained minimal both at population and patient levels. In hypothetical examples simulating real study populations with differing exposure prevalence and prevalence of true NSAID and aspirin use misclassified as apparent non-use, the approximate percentage change due to misclassification of use as non-use did not exceed 5% and in most scenarios stayed around 1%.Conclusion: The Danish prescription registries are valid data sources for assessing the effects of aspirin and NSAID use. The influence of non-recorded NSAID and aspirin use on estimates of association is virtually negligible.Keywords: registries, over-the-counter, bias epidemiology

The Nordic countries are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and comprise a total population of approximately 27 million. The countries provide unique opportunities for joint health registry-based research in large populations with long and complete follow-up, facilitated by shared features, such as the tax-funded and public health care systems, the similar population-based registries, and the personal identity number as unique identifier of all citizens. In this review, we provide an introduction to the health care systems, key registries, and how to navigate the practical and ethical aspects of setting up such studies. For each country, we provide an overview of population statistics and health care expenditures, and describe the operational and administrative organization of the health care system. The Nordic registries provide population-based, routine, and prospective data on individuals lives and health with virtually complete follow-up and exact censoring information. We briefly describe the total population registries, birth registries, patient registries, cancer registries, prescription registries, and causes of death registries with a focus on period of coverage, selected key variables, and potential limitations. Lastly, we discuss some practical and legal perspectives. The potential of joint research is not fully exploited, mainly due to legal and practical difficulties in, for example, cross-border sharing of data. Future tasks include clear and transparent legal pathways and a framework by which practical aspects are facilitated. publishedVersion

Background: Perioperative myocardial infarction is a serious cardiovascular complication of noncardiac surgery. The clinical course of perioperative myocardial infarction, other than all-cause mortality, is largely unknown. We examined long-term fatal and nonfatal outcomes of perioperative myocardial infarction compared with nonoperative myocardial infarction. Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study of first-time myocardial infarction in Denmark from 2000 to 2016. We calculated cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, venous thromboembolism, acute kidney injury, and kidney failure with replacement therapy. We computed 5-year risk ratios adjusted for age, sex, year of diagnosis, educational level, and comorbidities. Results: We identified 5068 patients with perioperative myocardial infarction and 137 862 patients with nonoperative myocardial infarction. The 5-year risk of all-cause mortality was 67.5% (95% CI, 66.1%–69.0%) for perioperative myocardial infarction patients and 38.0% (95% CI, 37.7%–38.3%) for nonoperative myocardial infarction patients. The adjusted risk ratio of all-cause mortality was 1.13 (95% CI, 1.11–1.16) at 5 years. After adjustment, we found no association between patients with perioperative myocardial infarction and 5-year cardiac mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, or kidney failure with replacement therapy when compared with nonoperative myocardial infarction patients. Perioperative myocardial infarction patients had a higher relative risk of venous thromboembolism (5-year risk ratio, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.01–1.46]) and acute kidney injury (5-year risk ratio, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.22–1.53]). Conclusions: Compared with nonoperative myocardial infarction patients, perioperative myocardial infarction patients had elevated risk of all-cause mortality, venous thromboembolism, and acute kidney failure. In addition to the myocardial infarction component of perioperative myocardial infarction, this poor prognosis seemed associated with the surgery or underlying comorbidities. These findings warrant further research on strategies to reduce the risk of perioperative myocardial infarction and on strategies to manage perioperative myocardial infarction.

Background Physical and mental well-being after critical illness may be objectified by the ability to work. We examined return to work among patients with myocardial infarction (MI) by cardiogenic shock (CS) status. Methods Danish nationwide registries were used to identify patients with first-time MI by CS status between 2005 and 2015, aged 18–63 years, working before hospitalization and discharged alive. Multiple logistic regression models were used to compare groups. Results We identified 19 799 patients with MI of whom 653 had CS (3%). The median age was similar for patients with and without CS (53 years, interquartile range 47–58). One-year outcomes in patients with and without CS were as follows: 52% vs. 83% returned to work, 41% vs. 16% did not and 6% vs. 1% died. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of returning to work was 0.53 [95% confidence limit (CI): 0.42–0.66]. In patients with CS, males and patients surviving OHCA were more likely to return to work (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.15–2.92 and 1.55, 95% CI: 1.00–2.40, respectively), whereas prolonged hospitalization (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.22–0.65) and anoxic brain damage (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.18–0.72) were associated with lower likelihood of returning to work. Conclusion In patients with MI discharged alive, approximately 80% of those without CS returned to work at 1-year follow-up in contrast to 50% of those with CS. Among patients with CS, male sex and OHCA survivors were markers positively related to return to work, whereas prolonged hospitalization and anoxic brain damage were negatively related markers.

Aims To examine whether non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is associated with increased cardiovascular risks in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and results Using Danish medical registries, we conducted a population-based cohort study in Western Denmark during 2008–17. We identified all patients undergoing first-time coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) due to suspected CAD (n = 35 399), with results showing no (n = 28 581) or non-obstructive CAD (n = 6818). Multivariate Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including incident myocardial infarction, coronary intervention, and death. The rate of MACE increased by 33% for any NSAID use compared with non-use [hazard ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.68] in patients with no CAD and by 48% (1.48, 95% CI 1.06–2.07) in patients with non-obstructive CAD. Rate difference of MACE, per 100 person-years, was 0.38 (95% CI 0.08–0.67) in patients with no CAD (number needed to harm: 267) and 1.08 (95% CI 0.06–2.11) in patients with non-obstructive CAD (number needed to harm: 92). Current use of older cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors was associated with the highest hazard ratio in patients with non-obstructive CAD, both when ascertained as pre-CCTA use (2.9-fold increase) and when ascertained from time-varying use (1.8-fold increase). Conclusion NSAID use in patients with CCTA-confirmed no and non-obstructive CAD was associated with an increased cardiovascular risk compared with non-use. The absolute risk differences and numbers needed to harm were considered clinically relevant, particularly in patients with non-obstructive CAD.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is characterized by chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation.OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between hospital-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and atrial fibrillation.METHODS: Using linked population-based Danish registries, we identified persons with an inpatient or outpatient hospital diagnosis of atopic dermatitis during 1977-2013 and a comparison cohort individually matched to the atopic dermatitis cohort. We followed cohorts until death, emigration, atrial fibrillation diagnosis, or end of study (January 1, 2013). We compared 35-year risk of atrial fibrillation and estimated hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals using Cox regression, adjusting for birth year and sex. We validated 100 atopic dermatitis diagnoses from a dermatologic department through medical record review.RESULTS: We included 13,126 persons with atopic dermatitis and 124,211 comparators and followed them for a median of 19.3 years. The 35-year risk of atrial fibrillation was 0.81% and 0.67%, respectively. The positive predictive value of atopic dermatitis diagnoses was 99%. The hazard ratio was 1.2 (95% confidence interval 1.0-1.6) and remained increased after adjusting for various atrial fibrillation risk factors.LIMITATIONS: Analyses were limited to persons with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, and we had no lifestyle data.CONCLUSION: Patients with hospital-diagnosed atopic dermatitis have a 20% increased long-term risk of atrial fibrillation, but the absolute risk remains low.

Purpose Obesity is an established risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), while studies on physical inactivity and VTE risk show conflicting results. We examined whether physical activity modified the association between obesity and VTE. Patients and methods We conducted a population-based cohort study by combining data on outcome diagnoses, comorbidities and medication from nationwide registries with self-reported lifestyle data from an extensive Danish lifestyle questionnaire (2001-2015). We computed incidence rates (IRs) and hazard ratios (HRs) of VTE for categories of body mass index (BMI), among the total study population (n=57,523) and for physically active (n=25,387) and inactive individuals (n=30,902) separately. Results Obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) was as expected associated with increased VTE risk compared with normal weight (HR 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26-2.09). Independent of BMI category, the rate of VTE was higher for inactive than active individuals. Thus, among obese individuals, the IR per 1000 person-years was 2.03 (95% CI: 1.60-2.57) for inactive and 1.44 (95% CI: 0.97-2.15) for active individuals. In contrast, the HR for VTE comparing obese with normal weight individuals were higher for active (HR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.35-3.58) than inactive individuals (HR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.00-1.84). Conclusion Physical activity acts as an effect measure modifier of the association between obesity and VTE. Thus, physical activity reduced the absolute rate of VTE among obese individuals but increased the relative rate of VTE among obese compared with normal weight individuals.

Objective To develop and validate the DANish Comorbidity index for Acute Myocardial Infarction (DANCAMI) for adjustment of comorbidity burden in studies of myocardial infarction prognosis. Methods Using medical registries, we identified patients with first-time myocardial infarction in Denmark during 2000-2013 (n=36,685). We developed comorbidity indices predicting 1-year all-cause mortality from all comorbidities (DANCAMI) and restricted to non-cardiovascular comorbidities (rDANCAMI). For variable selection, we eliminated comorbidities stepwise using hazard ratios from multivariable Cox models. We compared DANCAMI/rDANCAMI with Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidity indices using standard performance measures (Nagelkerke's R2, Harrell's C-statistic, the Integrated Discrimination Improvement, and the continuous Net Reclassification Index). We assessed the significance of the novel DANCAMI variables not included in the Charlson Comorbidity Index. External validation was performed in patients with myocardial infarction in New Zealand during 2007-2016 (n=75,069). Results The DANCAMI included 24 comorbidities. The rDANCAMI included 17 non-cardiovascular comorbidities. In the Danish cohort, the DANCAMI indices outperformed both the Charlson and the Elixhauser comorbidity indices on all performance measures. The DANCAMI indices included multiple variables that were significant predictors of 1-year mortality even after controlling for all variables in the Charlson Comorbidity Index. These novel variables included valvular heart disease (hazard ratio for 1-year mortality=1.25, 95% CI: 1.14-1.35), coagulopathy (1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1.22), alcohol and drug abuse (1.35, 95% CI: 1.15-1.58), schizophrenia (1.60, 95% CI: 1.46-1.76), affective disorder (1.29, 95% CI: 1.22-1.36), epilepsy (1.26, 95% CI: 1.05-1.50), neurodegenerative disorder (1.30, 95% CI: 1.10-1.54) and chronic pancreatitis (1.71, 95% CI: 1.14-2.56). The results were supported by the external validation in New Zealand. Conclusion DANCAMI assessed comorbidity burden of patients with first-time myocardial infarction, outperformed existing comorbidity indices, and was generalizable to patients outside Denmark. DANCAMI is recommended as a standard approach for comorbidity adjustment in studies of myocardial infarction prognosis.

Aims To investigate the impact of applying coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), as the recommended first-line diagnostic test in patients with suspected chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) on the use of invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and revascularization practice. Methods and results We included all patients undergoing a first-time CCTA (n = 53555) and first-time ICA (n = 41451) from 2008 to 2017 due to suspected CCS in Western Denmark (3.3 million inhabitants). The number of CCTA procedures increased from 352 (2008) to 7739 (2017) (2098%), ICA examinations declined from 4538 to 3766 (17%). The average proportion of no- or non-obstructive coronary artery disease by CCTA was 77.5%. Referral to ICA after CCTA occurred in 16.9% of patients in 2008–10 vs. 13.9% in 2014–17 (P 70 years: 9.5% decrease. Conclusion The introduction of CCTA as a first-line diagnostic test in patients with suspected CCS does not associate with increased use of invasive angiography and seems to have facilitated a more appropriate revascularization practice.

Antiarrhythmic drugs are widely used in the treatment of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Yet, nationwide long-term utilization trends remain unexplored. We examined 19-year trends in the use of antiarrhythmic drugs in Denmark. Using nationwide prescription data, we obtained information on hospital and primary healthcare use of Class I-V antiarrhythmic drugs from 1999 to 2017. Data was stratified according to sex and age groups. From 1999 to 2017, the total use of antiarrhythmic drugs per 1000 inhabitants/day increased 16% from 36.3 in 1999 to 41.9 in 2017 with peak consumption in 2008 (46.5). In primary healthcare, Class I usage decreased from 0.8 to 0.5 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants/day, driven by a decreased prescription rate of propafenone (0.4 to 0.1) whereas prescription of flecainide (Class Ic) increased from 0.3 to 0.4 DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day (mainly in men of age 45 to 79 years). Class II usage increased from 15.4 to 33.6 DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day. Class III usage decreased from 2.6 to 1.1 DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day, reflecting reduced prescription rate of sotalol (2.1 to 0.2) whereas amiodarone increased from 0.5 to 0.9 (mainly due to increased prescription among men and women >80 years). Class IV usage declined from 8.6 to 2.8 DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day. Finally, Class V drugs decreased 8.1 to 3.3 DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day. In conclusion, during the past 2 decades considerable changes in prescription rate of antiarrhythmic drugs have occurred, most notably a reduction in sotalol and increased usage of flecainide, Class II drugs, and amiodarone.

INTRODUCTION: The Danish Comorbidity Index for Acute Myocardial Infarction (DANCAMI) was developed to predict one-year mortality after myocardial infarction. We validated DANCAMI in predicting one-year mortality after venous thromboembolism (VTE).MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified all first-time VTE patients in Denmark during 2000-2015. Using Cox regression, we assessed the performance of DANCAMI to predict one-year all-cause mortality using Nagelkerke's R 2, Harrell's C-Statistic, the net reclassification index (NRI), and the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). We compared the performance of DANCAMI with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) and evaluated whether DANCAMI comorbidities not included in the CCI predicted one-year mortality. We stratified the analyses by type (deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and pulmonary embolism [PE]) and presence of provoking risk factors. RESULTS: We identified 108,824 VTE patients of whom 20,649 (19%) died within one year. The R 2, C-Statistic, NRI, and IDI for DANCAMI were 0.35, 0.76, 0.63, and 0.098 for VTE overall; 0.43, 0.80, 0.70, and 0.105 for DVT; and 0.24, 0.71, 0.54, and 0.083 for PE. The R 2 and C-Statistic for VTE overall were 0.35 and 0.76 for CCI and 0.33 and 0.75 for ECI. After adjusting for age, sex, and all CCI comorbidities, seven DANCAMI comorbidities, not included in the CCI, predicted increased mortality. DANCAMI performed better than the CCI and ECI in predicting mortality after provoked VTE, including provoked DVT and PE. CONCLUSION: DANCAMI performed comparable to existing comorbidity indices in predicting one-year mortality after first-time VTE overall, but better after provoked VTE.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether myocardial infarction can be safely ruled in or out after 30 minutes as an alternative to 1 hour.METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center clinical study enrolling patients admitted to the emergency department. Patients with chest pain suggestive of myocardial infarction were eligible for inclusion. There was no walk-in to the emergency department, and patients with highly elevated out-of-hospital troponin were transferred directly to an invasive heart center. High-sensitivity troponin I was measured at admission (0 hour), 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 3 hours. Diagnostic performance was assessed using the sensitivity and negative predictive value (primary endpoints) as measures of ability to rule out myocardial infarction. Specificity and positive predictive value of myocardial infarction were used as measures for the ability to rule in myocardial infarction (secondary endpoints).RESULTS: In total, 1,003 patients qualified for analysis. Median age was 64 (interquartile range 52 to 74) years, and 42% were women. Myocardial infarction was confirmed in 9% of patients. In the validation cohort (n=503), the 0-h/30-min algorithm assigned 242 (48%) patients to rule out, 54 (11%) to rule in, and 207 (41%) to the observational zone. This resulted in a sensitivity of 100% (92.0% to 100%), negative predictive value of 100% (95% confidence interval 98.5% to 100%), specificity of 96.7% (94.7% to 98.2%), and positive predictive value of 72.2% (58.4% to 83.5%). In comparison, the 0-h/1-h algorithm performed with a sensitivity of 100% (92.0% to 100%), negative predictive value of 100% (98.5% to 100%), specificity of 97.2% (95.2% to 98.5%), and positive predictive value of 75.5% (61.7% to 86.2%).CONCLUSION: The accelerated 0-h/30-min algorithm allowed for safe rule-out of myocardial infarction 30 minutes after admission. The rule-in ability of the 0-h/30-min algorithm was comparable to that of the 0-h/1h algorithm.

Aims To examine trends in ischaemic heart disease (IHD) incidence and prevalence in New Zealand from 2005 to 2016, using comprehensive linked national hospitalization and mortality data as proxy measures of all significant events. Methods and results Incident and prevalent cases of IHD in people aged ≥25 years were identified using individual patient-linkage of routinely collected ICD-10-coded hospitalization and mortality data. Incidence rates and prevalence proportions were calculated by sex and age group and then age-standardized to the 2016 New Zealand population. Ischaemic heart disease incidence and prevalence declined in men and women in all age groups. The average annual rate of decline in age-standardized IHD incidence was 3.3% for women and 2.7% for men, and the rate of decline in age-standardized IHD prevalence was 3.2% for women and 2.2% for men. Despite a 17% increase in the New Zealand population aged 25 years and over during the study period, the total number of people living with IHD also decreased, particularly in those aged 65 years and older. Conclusion In contrast to observations from other countries, where IHD incidence but not IHD prevalence has been falling, declining IHD incidence in New Zealand in recent decades is now mirrored by declining IHD prevalence.

This cohort study uses registry data from Denmark to evaluate the association between discontinuation of long-term statin treatment and major adverse cardiovascular events among individuals aged 75 years or older., Key Points Question Is statin discontinuation associated with a higher rate of major adverse cardiovascular events than statin continuation among older people receiving long-term treatment with statins? Findings In this cohort study of 27 463 people treated with statins for primary prevention and 39 955 treated for secondary prevention, statin discontinuation was associated with a significantly higher rate of major adverse cardiovascular events for primary prevention and secondary prevention compared with treatment continuation. Meaning In this study, statin discontinuation was associated with a higher rate of cardiovascular events than statin continuation among older people receiving long-term statin treatment, but more definitive evidence is needed., Importance Statin use is common in older persons. Given uncertainties in ongoing benefit, changes in health status, and shifting goals of care and preferences, statin discontinuation may be considered in some older persons, although there is currently little evidence to guide this decision. Objective To evaluate the association between statin discontinuation and the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among people aged 75 years or older who receive long-term statin treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included all persons in Denmark aged 75 years or older who were treated with statins for at least 5 consecutive years as of January 1, 2011. Participants were followed up until December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed from July to November, 2020. Exposure Statin discontinuation. Main Outcomes and Measures Rate of occurrence of MACE and its components (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, coronary revascularization, and death due to myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke) in persons continuing statins compared with those discontinuing statins. Confounding adjustment was done using inverse probability of treatment weighting. Analyses were conducted separately for primary prevention (no history of cardiovascular disease) and secondary prevention (history of cardiovascular disease). Results The study included 67 418 long-term statin users, including 27 463 in the primary prevention analysis (median age, 79 years [IQR, 77-83 years]; 18 134 [66%] female) and 39 955 in the secondary prevention analysis (median age, 80 years [IQR, 77-84 years]; 18 717 [47%] female). In both primary and secondary prevention analyses, the rate of MACE was higher among persons who discontinued statins compared with those who continued statins. In the primary prevention cohort, the weighted rate difference was 9 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 5-12 per 1000 person-years) and the adjusted sub–hazard ratio was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.18-1.48), corresponding to 1 excess MACE per 112 persons who discontinued statins per year. In the secondary prevention cohort, the weighted rate difference was 13 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 8-17 per 1000 person-years) and the adjusted sub–hazard ratio was 1.28 (95% CI, 1.18-1.39), corresponding to 1 excess MACE per 77 persons who discontinued statins per year. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, among older adults receiving long-term statin treatment, discontinuation of statins was associated with a higher rate of MACE compared with statin continuation in both the primary and the secondary prevention cohorts. These findings suggest a need for robust evidence from randomized clinical trials.

The aim of this study was to examine whether myocardial infarction (MI) incidence rate continues to decrease and to determine whether the relative magnitude of a potentially decreasing incidence rate has surpassed increasing survival, demasking a breaking point in trends of MI prevalence proportion. This was a nationwide population-based cohort study using medical registries covering all hospitals in Denmark (1994 to 2016). We identified 193,870 persons with a first-time hospitalization for MI. Age-standardized incidence rates (per 100,000 persons) decreased from 154 (95% confidence interval [CI] 149 to 159) in 1994 to 90 (95% CI 86 to 93) in 2016 for females, and from 335 (95% CI 326 to 344) in 1994 to 205 (95% CI 199 to 211) in 2016 for males. Age-standardized prevalence proportion increased overall from 1994 to 2004 with a subsequent plateau. From 2006 to 2016, age-standardized prevalence proportion decreased by 0.09% (95% CI 0.07% to 0.11%) for females (from 1.07% to 0.98%) and by 0.20% (95% CI 0.17% to 0.23%) for males (from 2.85% to 2.65%). The age-standardized prevalence proportion decreased solely among persons aged 55 to 84 years. It remained stable among persons aged

Aims To examine whether prescription patterns complied with recommendations not to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with cardiovascular contraindications. Moreover, we examined predictors for initiation and prescriber responsibility. Methods and results We used Danish medical databases to identify all patients with first-time cardiovascular disease during 1996–2017 (n = 628 834). We assessed standardized prevalence proportions, predictors from logistic regression, and prescriber identifiers. One-year prevalence of NSAID initiation increased 3.4% from 1996 (19.4%) to 2001 (22.7%) and declined by 2.7% thereafter until 2017 (13.5%). Trends were independent of age, sex, and disease subtype, although larger annual declines occurred for heart failure (3.9%) and ischaemic heart disease (3.5%) since 2002. One-year prevalence remained highest among patients with venous thromboembolism (16.6%) and angina (13.8%), and lowest for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (7.0%) and heart failure (8.8%). Initiators were predominantly prescribed ibuprofen (59%), diclofenac (23%), and etodolac (6%). Diclofenac and coxib use declined, while ibuprofen and naproxen use increased. Median prescribed pill dose of ibuprofen declined after 2008 from moderate/high (600 mg) to low (400 mg). Treatment duration declined for all NSAIDs, except celecoxib. Rheumatic, obesity, and pain-related conditions predicted NSAID initiation. General practitioners issued 86–91% of all NSAID prescriptions, followed by hospital prescribers (7.3–12%). Conclusions Initiation of NSAIDs in patients with cardiovascular disease declined since 2002. Shorter treatment duration, declining COX-2 inhibition, and increasing use of naproxen and low-dose ibuprofen suggest adherence to guidelines when NSAIDs cannot be avoided. Still, NSAID use remained prevalent despite cardiovascular contraindications, warranting awareness of appropriateness of use among general practitioners in particular.

Background and purpose: The distribution of the major modifiable risk factors for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) changes rapidly. These changes call for contemporary data from large-scale population-based studies. The aim of the present study was to examine trends in incidence, risk factors, and mortality in ICH patients from 2004 to 2017. Methods: In a population-based cohort study, we calculated age- and sex-standardized incidence rates (SIRs), incidence rates (IRs) stratified by age and sex per 100,000 person-years, and trends in risk profiles. We estimated absolute mortality risk, and the Cox proportional hazards regression multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for 30-day and 1-year mortality. Results: We included 16,902 patients (53% men; median age 75 years) from 2004 to 2017. The SIR of ICH decreased from 33 (95% confidence interval [CI] 32–34) in 2004/2005 to 28 (95% CI 27–29) in 2016/2017. Among patients aged ≥70 years, the IR decreased from 137 (95% CI 130–144) in 2004/2005 to 112 (95% CI 106–117) in 2016/2017. The IR in patients aged

The CHA2DS2-VASc score is used to predict stroke risk among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We examined whether a CHA2DS2-VASc score predicts stroke risk among individuals without hospital-diagnosed AF and quantified the magnitude of the association in comparison to AF patients. We used data from population-based medical registries (1995 to 2005) covering all Danish hospitals to identify patients diagnosed with AF (n = 122,980). We matched ≤5 non-AF individuals (n = 612,723) to each AF patient on the individual risk factors included in the CHA2DS2-VASc score. We calculated 10-year absolute risk of ischemic and all-cause stroke in AF and non-AF individuals and compared the stroke risk between cohorts within strata of CHA2DS2-VASc scores using Cox regression. The 10-year risk of ischemic/all-cause stroke was 4.4%/8.8% among non-AF individuals and 6.2%/12% in AF patients, corresponding to a risk difference of 1.8% for ischemic stroke and 3.3% for all-cause stroke. In both cohorts, the stroke risk correlated with increasing CHA2DS2-VASc scores. However, in individuals with CHA2DS2-VASc scores ≥5 who were 2DS2-VASc score was associated with 10-year stroke risk also among individuals without hospital-diagnosed AF. In conclusion, primary prophylactic anticoagulation therapy may be relevant in male and younger non-AF individuals with CHA2DS2-VASc scores ≥5. These findings should be confirmed in clinical trials.

Denmark has a large network of population-based medical databases, which routinely collect high-quality data as a by-product of health care provision. The Danish medical databases include administrative, health, and clinical quality databases. Understanding the full research potential of these data sources requires insight into the underlying health care system. This review describes key elements of the Danish health care system from planning and delivery to record generation. First, it presents the history of the health care system, its overall organization and financing. Second, it details delivery of primary, hospital, psychiatric, and elderly care. Third, the path from a health care contact to a database record is followed. Finally, an overview of the available data sources is presented. This review discusses the data quality of each type of medical database and describes the relative technical ease and cost-effectiveness of exact individual-level linkage among them. It is shown, from an epidemiological point of view, how Denmark's population represents an open dynamic cohort with complete long-term follow-up, censored only at emigration or death. It is concluded that Denmark's constellation of universal health care, long-standing routine registration of most health and life events, and the possibility of exact individual-level data linkage provides unlimited possibilities for epidemiological research.

PURPOSE: We examined whether influenza vaccination affects 1-year risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, pneumonia, and death among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors aged ≥ 65 years.METHODS: Danish Intensive Care Database data on all elderly ( ≥ 65 years) patients hospitalized in Danish ICUs in the period 2005-2015, and subsequently discharged, were linked with data from other medical registries, including data on uptake of the seasonal influenza vaccine. We computed these patients' 1-year risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or pneumonia, and their 1-year risk of all-cause mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using Cox proportional hazards regression, with adjustment and propensity score matching applied to handle confounding.RESULTS: The study included 89,818 ICU survivors. The influenza vaccinated patients (n = 34,871, 39%) were older, had more chronic diseases, and used more prescription medications than the unvaccinated patients. Adjusted 1-year mortality was decreased among the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated patients (19.3% versus 18.8%; adjusted HR, 0.92; 95% CI 0.89-0.95). Influenza vaccination was also associated with a decreased risk of stroke (adjusted HR, 0.84; 95% CI 0.78-0.92), but only a small, non-significantly decreased risk of myocardial infarction (adjusted HR, 0.93; 95% CI 0.83-1.03). There was no association between vaccination and subsequent hospitalization for heart failure or pneumonia. Propensity score matched analyses confirmed these findings.CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the unvaccinated ICU survivors, the influenza vaccinated ICU survivors had a lower 1-year risk of stroke and a lower 1-year risk of death, whereas no substantial association was observed for the risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia. Our findings support influenza vaccination of individuals aged ≥ 65 years.

AIMS: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is highly prevalent among patients with myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock (MI-CS). We aimed to examine the prognostic importance of OHCA in patients with MI-CS.METHODS: Using Danish nationwide registries, we identified first-time hospitalized MI-CS patients (2010-2015) by OHCA status. Cumulative incidence curves and adjusted Cox regression models were used to compare in-hospital mortality, and among hospital survivors we compared 5-year rates of heart failure hospitalization and mortality.RESULTS: We identified 3107 MI-CS patients of whom 979 presented with OHCA (32%). OHCA patients were younger (median age: 65 vs. 74 years) and had less comorbidity. In-hospital mortality was 57% in those with OHCA compared with 67% in those without, but after adjustment the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.99 [95% CI: 0.87-1.11]. Hospital survivors consisted of 1375 MI-CS patients including 531 OHCA patients (39%). Five-year mortality was 22% for OHCA patients and 42% for patients without OHCA (adjusted HR: 0.90 [95% CI: 0.70-0.1.17]). The HR for five-year cardiovascular mortality was 0.80 [95% CI: 0.62-0.98]. Lastly, 5-year rate of heart failure hospitalization was 17% for patients with OHCA compared with 34% in those without (HR: 0.44 [95% CI: 0.34-0.57]).CONCLUSION: Among patients hospitalized with MI-CS, OHCA did not influence all-cause in-hospital or long-term mortality but was a marker for reduced long-term rates of heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality. Future randomized studies are needed to improve prognosis of MI-CS, however, the importance of OHCA must be considered.

Non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used to treat pain, fever, and inflammation. Historically, NSAIDs have been categorized as traditional NSAIDs and newer cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors (coxibs). However, traditional NSAIDs also inhibit the COX-1 and COX-2 enzyme isoforms to a varying degree. This diversity of COX-1 and COX-2 selectivity within the class of traditional NSAIDs has proven clinically important, with evidence accumulating on the cardiovascular risks associated with selective COX-2 inhibition. Thus, the relative COX-2 selectivity of traditional NSAIDs correlates with their cardiovascular risk profile, being more favourable for non-selective NSAIDs, such as naproxen and low-dose ibuprofen, and less favourable for more COX-2 selective agents, such as diclofenac. To enhance clinically relevant terminology, we advocate categorizing all non-aspirin NSAIDs—including traditional NSAIDs—according to their relative COX-1 and COX-2 selectivity as either COX-1 inhibitors, non-selective NSAIDs, or COX-2 inhibitors. We further recommend subcategorizing COX-2 inhibitors as newer COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) or older COX-2 inhibitors. Finally, we recommend examining the effects of the individual NSAIDs included in each of the proposed categories. Adhering to these recommendations will align future studies, advance interpretation of COX-specific adverse cardiovascular effects, and provide better guidance to clinicians prescribing NSAIDs.

Patient: Female, 66-year-old Final Diagnosis: Coronary artery disease Symptoms: Chest discomfort Medication:— Clinical Procedure: Coronary angiography • percutaneous coronary intervention Specialty: Cardiology Objective: Challenging differential diagnosis Background: In patients admitted to the hospital owing to suspected acute coronary syndrome and where the first electrocardiogram (ECG) is non-diagnostic of ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), international guidelines recommend that sequential ECGs are performed to identify new or intermittent ST-deviations. Continued monitoring for ST-segment alterations is rarely performed, in contrast to the continued monitoring for arrhythmias. Continued monitoring for ST-segment alteration may detect intermittent ST-segment elevations not captured by routine 12-lead ECGs. We present a case in which continued ST-segment monitoring revealed intermittent ST-segment elevations and led to expedited coronary angiography and revascularization. Case Report: A 66-year-old woman was admitted to a regional hospital in Denmark with intermittent retrosternal chest pain and dyspnea. Her risk profile included a family history of cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, active smoking, and obesity. The results of 3 sets of high-sensitivity cardiac troponins and sequential 12-lead ECG measurements were normal. Because of clinical suspicion of unstable angina, the patient remained admitted. Continued rhythm and ST-segment monitoring was initiated. During continued ST-segment monitoring, asymptomatic intermittent ST-elevations in the inferior leads were detected. The patient was referred for an acute coronary angiography at the nearest cardiac center. Coronary catheterization showed right coronary artery stenosis, and complete revascularization was obtained by percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation. Conclusions: Continued ST-segment monitoring can detect intermittent ST-segment elevations and thereby substantiate the need for acute coronary angiography.