Aims The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on care and outcomes across non-COVID-19 cardiovascular (CV) diseases is unknown. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to quantify the effect and investigate for variation by CV disease, geographic region, country income classification and the time course of the pandemic. Methods and results From January 2019 to December 2021, Medline and Embase databases were searched for observational studies comparing a pandemic and pre-pandemic period with relation to CV disease hospitalisations, diagnostic and interventional procedures, outpatient consultations, and mortality. Observational data were synthesised by incidence rate ratios (IRR) and risk ratios (RR) for binary outcomes and weighted mean differences for continuous outcomes with 95% confidence intervals. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021265930). A total of 158 studies, covering 49 countries and 6 continents, were used for quantitative synthesis. Most studies (80%) reported information for high-income countries (HICs). Across all CV disease and geographies there were fewer hospitalisations, diagnostic and interventional procedures, and outpatient consultations during the pandemic. By meta-regression, in low-middle income countries (LMICs) compared to HICs the decline in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) hospitalisations (RR 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66–0.94) and revascularisation (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.62–0.87) was more severe. In LMICs, but not HICs, in-hospital mortality increased for STEMI (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.10–1.37) and heart failure (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04–1.12). The magnitude of decline in hospitalisations for CV diseases did not differ between the first and second wave. Conclusions There was substantial global collateral CV damage during the COVID-19 pandemic with disparity in severity by country income classification.

ObjectiveAtrial fibrillation (AF) is common and is associated with an increased risk of stroke. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse multivariable prediction models derived and/or validated in electronic health records (EHRs) and/or administrative claims databases for the prediction of incident AF in the community.MethodsOvid Medline and Ovid Embase were searched for records from inception to 23 March 2021. Measures of discrimination were extracted and pooled by Bayesian meta-analysis, with heterogeneity assessed through a 95% prediction interval (PI). Risk of bias was assessed using Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool and certainty in effect estimates by Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation.ResultsEleven studies met inclusion criteria, describing nine prediction models, with four eligible for meta-analysis including 9 289 959 patients. The CHADS (Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age>75, Diabetes mellitus, prior Stroke or transient ischemic attack) (summary c-statistic 0.674; 95% CI 0.610 to 0.732; 95% PI 0.526–0.815), CHA2DS2-VASc (Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age>75 (2 points), Stroke/transient ischemic attack/thromboembolism (2 points), Vascular disease, Age 65–74, Sex category) (summary c-statistic 0.679; 95% CI 0.620 to 0.736; 95% PI 0.531–0.811) and HATCH (Hypertension, Age, stroke or Transient ischemic attack, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Heart failure) (summary c-statistic 0.669; 95% CI 0.600 to 0.732; 95% PI 0.513–0.803) models resulted in a c-statistic with a statistically significant 95% PI and moderate discriminative performance. No model met eligibility for inclusion in meta-analysis if studies at high risk of bias were excluded and certainty of effect estimates was ‘low’. Models derived by machine learning demonstrated strong discriminative performance, but lacked rigorous external validation.ConclusionsModels externally validated for prediction of incident AF in community-based EHR demonstrate moderate predictive ability and high risk of bias. Novel methods may provide stronger discriminative performance.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42021245093.

ObjectiveTo study the association of cardiac rehabilitation and physical activity with temporal changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).MethodsEvaluation of the Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events-3 is a nationwide longitudinal prospective cohort study of 4570 patients admitted with an AMI between 1 November 2011 and 17 September 2013. HRQoL was estimated using EuroQol 5-Dimension-3 Level Questionnaire at hospitalisation, 30 days, and 6 and 12 months following hospital discharge. The association of cardiac rehabilitation and self-reported physical activity on temporal changes in HRQoL was quantified using inverse probability of treatment weighting propensity score and multilevel regression analyses.ResultsCardiac rehabilitation attendees had higher HRQoL scores than non-attendees at 30 days (mean EuroQol 5-Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) scores: 71.0 (SD 16.8) vs 68.6 (SD 19.8)), 6 months (76.0 (SD 16.4) vs 70.2 (SD 19.0)) and 12 months (76.9 (SD 16.8) vs 70.4 (SD 20.4)). Attendees who were physically active ≥150 min/week had higher HRQoL scores compared with those who only attended cardiac rehabilitation at 30 days (mean EQ-VAS scores: 79.3 (SD 14.6) vs 70.2 (SD 17.0)), 6 months (82.2 (SD 13.9) vs 74.9 (SD 16.7)) and 12 months (84.1 (SD 12.1) vs 75.6 (SD 17.0)). Cardiac rehabilitation and self-reported physical activity of ≥150 min/week were each positively associated with temporal improvements in HRQoL (coefficient: 2.12 (95% CI 0.68 to 3.55) and 4.75 (95% CI 3.16 to 6.34), respectively).ConclusionsCardiac rehabilitation was independently associated with temporal improvements in HRQoL at up to 12 months following hospitalisation, with such changes further improved in patients who were physically active.

Background Multimorbidity is prevalent for people with myocardial infarction (MI), yet previous studies investigated single-health conditions in isolation. We identified patterns of multimorbidity in MI survivors and their associations with changes in HRQoL. Methods In this national longitudinal cohort study, we analysed data from 9566 admissions with MI from 77 National Health Service hospitals in England between 2011 and 2015. HRQoL was measured using EuroQol 5 dimension (EQ5D) instrument and visual analogue scale (EQVAS) at hospitalisation, 6, and 12 months following MI. Latent class analysis (LCA) of pre-existing long-term health conditions at baseline was used to identify clusters of multimorbidity and associations with changes in HRQoL quantified using mixed effects regression analysis. Results Of 9566 admissions with MI (mean age of 64.1 years [SD 11.9], 7154 [75%] men), over half (5119 [53.5%] had multimorbidities. LCA identified 3 multimorbidity clusters which were severe multimorbidity (591; 6.5%) with low HRQoL at baseline (EQVAS 59.39 and EQ5D 0.62) which did not improve significantly at 6 months (EQVAS 59.92, EQ5D 0.60); moderate multimorbidity (4301; 47.6%) with medium HRQoL at baseline (EQVAS 63.08, EQ5D 0.71) and who improved at 6 months (EQVAS 71.38, EQ5D 0.76); and mild multimorbidity (4147, 45.9%) at baseline (EQVAS 64.57, EQ5D 0.75) and improved at 6 months (EQVAS 76.39, EQ5D 0.82). Patients in the severe and moderate groups were more likely to be older, women, and presented with NSTEMI. Compared with the mild group, increased multimorbidity was associated with lower EQ-VAS scores (adjusted coefficient: −5.12 [95% CI −7.04 to −3.19] and −0.98 [−1.93 to −0.04] for severe and moderate multimorbidity, respectively. The severe class was more likely than the mild class to report problems in mobility, OR 9.62 (95% confidence interval: 6.44 to 14.36), self-care 7.87 (4.78 to 12.97), activities 2.41 (1.79 to 3.26), pain 2.04 (1.50 to 2.77), and anxiety/depression 1.97 (1.42 to 2.74). Conclusions Among MI survivors, multimorbidity clustered into three distinct patterns and was inversely associated with HRQoL. The identified multimorbidity patterns and HRQoL domains that are mostly affected may help to identify patients at risk of poor HRQoL for which clinical interventions could be beneficial to improve the HRQoL of MI survivors. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01808027 and NCT01819103

ObjectivesTo investigate sex-based differences in baseline values and longitudinal trajectories of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a large cohort of myocardial infarction (MI) survivors after adjusting for other important factors.DesignLongitudinal cohort study.SettingPopulation-based longitudinal study the Evaluation of the Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events study linked with national cardiovascular registry. Data were collected from 77 hospitals in England between 1 November 2011 and 24 June 2015.Participants9551 patients with MI. Patients were eligible for the study if they were ≥18 years of age.Primary and secondary outcome measuresHRQoL was measured by EuroQol five-dimension, visual analogue scale (EQ-5D, EQ VAS) survey at baseline, 1, 6 and 12 months after discharge. Multi-level linear and logistic regression models coupled with inverse probability weighted propensity scoring were used to evaluate sex differences in HRQoL following MI.ResultsOf the 9551 patients with MI and complete data on sex, 25.1% (2,397) were women. At baseline, women reported lower HRQoL (EQ VAS (mean (SD) 59.8 (20.4) vs 64.5 (20.9)) (median (IQR) 60.00 (50.00–75.00) vs 70.00 (50.00–80.00))) (EQ-5D (mean (SD) 0.66 (0.31) vs 0.74 (0.28)) (median (IQR) 0.73 (0.52–0.85) vs 0.81 (0.62–1.00))) and were more likely to report problems in each HRQoL domain compared with men. In the covariate balanced and adjusted multi-level model sex differences in HRQoL persisted during follow-up, with lower EQ VAS and EQ-5D scores in women compared with men (adjusted EQ VAS model sex coefficient: −4.41, 95% CI −5.16 to −3.66 and adjusted EQ-5D model sex coefficient: −0.07, 95% CI −0.08 to −0.06).ConclusionsWomen have lower HRQoL compared with men at baseline and during 12 months follow-up after MI. Tailored interventions for women following an MI could improve their quality of life.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04598048,NCT01808027,NCT01819103

The Evaluation of the Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events (EMMACE) longitudinal cohort study aims to investigate health trajectories of individuals following hospitalisation for myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results EMMACE is a linked multicenter prospective cohort study of 14 899 patients with MI admitted to 77 hospitals in England who participated in the EMMACE-3 and -4 studies between 1st November 2011 and 24th June 2015. Long term follow-up of the EMMACE cohorts was conducted through the EMMACE-XL (27th September 2020 to 31st March 2022) and EMMACE-XXL (1st July 2021 to 1st July 2023) studies. EMMACE collected individual participant data for health related quality of life (HRQoL) measured by EuroQol5-dimensions (EQ5D-3 L) and visual analogy scale (EQVAS) at admission, 1 month, 6 months,12 months and 10 years follow up, as well as medications, medication adherence, beliefs about medicines, satisfaction with Information about Medicines Scale [SIMS] and illness perceptions. Participant data were deterministically linked to the Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project (MINAP) for baseline treatments and comorbidities information, Hospital Episodes Statistics Admitted Patient Care (for cause-specific hospitalisations data), and the Office for National Statistics (for mortality data) up to 2020. Conclusion EMMACE is a nationwide prospective cohort that will provide unique insights into fatal and non-fatal outcomes, medications adherence, and health related quality of life following MI. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01808027 and NCT01819103

Background Over 800,000 women in the UK are living with coronary heart disease, which is the main cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Marked improvements have been noted in clinical outcomes following AMI due to improved use of evidence-based treatments. However, sex differences in outcomes following AMI persist, with limited evidence in the literature concerning patient reported outcomes such as health related quality of life (HRQoL). Purpose To investigate sex differences in HRQoL following AMI. Methods Data on HRQoL among 9,566 survivors of AMI were collected from 77 National Health Service hospitals in England between 1 November 2011 and 24 June 2015. HRQoL at time of hospitalisation with an AMI as well as at 1, 6 and 12 months post discharge were collected using the self-reported EuroQol five dimension questionnaire which contains a descriptive system (EQ-5D ranging from −0.5 “worse than death” to 1 “full health”) and a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS ranging from 0 “worst imaginable health state” to 100 “best imaginable health state”). Multilevel regression modelling coupled with inverse probability weighting propensity score analysis was used to investigate longitudinal trajectories of sex differences in perceived HRQoL following AMI. Results Overall, there were 2,397 (25%) women in the study. HRQoL improved over time, however, women had a lower baseline HRQoL compared with men (EQ-VAS mean (SD) 59.8 (20.4) vs. 64.5 (20.9), and EQ-5D median (IQR) 0.73 (0.52 to 0.88) vs. 0.81 (0.62 to 1.00). Sex differences in HRQoL over time persisted, with women having a reduced HRQoL (EQ-VAS coefficient: −4.41, 95% CI: −5.16 to −3.66 and EQ-5D coefficient: −0.07, −0.08 to −0.06) and across the individual EQ-5D dimensions women were more likely to report problems with anxiety (odds ratio 2.03, 95% CI: 1.80 to 2.29), mobility (1.82, 1.58 to 2.09), self-care (1.75, 1.47 to 2.08), usual activities (1.70, 1.52 to 1.89) and pain (1.59, 1.45 to 1.75). Conclusion Although quality of life improves for AMI survivors, women have a lower baseline and worse recovery compared with men. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship

Left ventricular (LV) thrombus is an increasingly recognised complication following anterior myocardial infarction and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Whilst vitamin K antagonists (VKA) remain the only approved therapeutic option to reduce the risk of systemic thromboembolism including stroke, the off-label use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is becoming an attractive alternative.We aimed to improve the diagnosis and management of LV thrombus at a tertiary cardiology centre using quality improvement methodology. Outcomes included increasing the use of DOACs from 25% to 70% over a period of 1 year and shorten length of time from diagnosis to repeat imaging to within 3–6 months as recommended by guidelines.During the first Plan–Do–Study–Action (PDSA) cycle, we identified 84 patients diagnosed with LV thrombus between 1 December 2012 and 30 June 2018. The majority (74%) were prescribed VKA. Repeat imaging occurred in 89% of patients, but only 55% using the same modality. The mean duration between diagnosis and repeat imaging was 233±251 days. There were no significant differences between VKA and DOAC in terms of thrombus resolution, systemic embolisation or clinically significant bleeding. We published trust-wide guidelines on the management of LV thrombus with recommendations supporting the use of DOACs and appropriate follow-up imaging. A second PDSA cycle undertaken between 1 October 2019 and 31 March 2020 identified a further 20 patients. DOAC use increased to 70% and 70% of patients underwent follow-up imaging following a mean duration of 140±61 days, although in only 36% using the same modality.Using quality improvement methodology, we confirmed safe and efficient use of DOAC in the setting of LV thrombus. We published trust guidelines supporting their use, which was associated with an increase in DOAC use and in earlier follow-up imaging in line with our recommendations.