To test whether remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) as adjuvant to standard of care (SOC) would prevent progression towards heart failure (HF) after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Single-centre parallel 1:1 randomized trial (computerized block-randomization, concealed allocation) to assess superiority of RIC (3 cycles of intermittent 5 min lower limb ischaemia) over SOC in consecutive STEMI patients (NCT02313961, clinical trials.gov). From 258 patients randomized to RIC or SOC, 9 and 4% were excluded because of unconfirmed diagnosis and previously unrecognized exclusion criteria, respectively. Combined primary outcome of cardiac mortality and hospitalization for HF was reduced in RIC compared with SOC (n = 231 and 217, respectively; HR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.15-0.78) as well as each outcome in isolation. No difference was found in serum troponin I levels between groups. Median and maximum follow-up time were 2.1 and 3.7 years, respectively. In-hospital HF (RR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.47-0.98), need for diuretics (RR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.97) and inotropes and/or intra-aortic balloon pump (RR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.76) were decreased in RIC. On planned 12 months follow-up echocardiography (n = 193 and 173 in RIC and SOC, respectively) ejection fraction (EF) recovery was enhanced in patients presenting with impaired left ventricular (LV) function (10% absolute difference in median EF compared with SOC; P < 0.001). In addition to previously reported improved myocardial salvage index and reduced infarct size RIC was shown beneficial in a combined hard clinical endpoint of cardiac mortality and hospitalization for HF. Improved EF recovery was also documented in patients with impaired LV function.

This article tried to evaluate the main causes of therapeutic futility at the palliative care transition. The principal causes of inappropriateness were absence of clinical indication, clinically significant drug-disease/comorbidity interactions, and incorrect dosage/posology.

Age, LVEF ≤40% and LA diameter are independent predictors of new-onset AF during ACS. This arrhythmia is associated with higher overall mortality (in-hospital and in follow-up).

Aims  The aim of this study was to determine the contemporary use of reperfusion therapy in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) member and affiliated countries and adherence to ESC clinical practice guidelines in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and results  Prospective cohort (EURObservational Research Programme STEMI Registry) of hospitalized STEMI patients with symptom onset &lt;24 h in 196 centres across 29 countries. A total of 11 462 patients were enrolled, for whom primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (total cohort frequency: 72.2%, country frequency range 0–100%), fibrinolysis (18.8%; 0–100%), and no reperfusion therapy (9.0%; 0–75%) were performed. Corresponding in-hospital mortality rates from any cause were 3.1%, 4.4%, and 14.1% and overall mortality was 4.4% (country range 2.5–5.9%). Achievement of quality indicators for reperfusion was reported for 92.7% (region range 84.8–97.5%) for the performance of reperfusion therapy of all patients with STEMI &lt;12 h and 54.4% (region range 37.1–70.1%) for timely reperfusion. Conclusions  The use of reperfusion therapy for STEMI in the ESC member and affiliated countries was high. Primary PCI was the most frequently used treatment and associated total in-hospital mortality was below 5%. However, there was geographic variation in the use of primary PCI, which was associated with differences in in-hospital mortality.

MSI was shown to be a valuable bedside tool which can rapidly identify high-risk STEMI patients at presentation.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is widely recognized as an adverse prognostic factor during acute myocardial infarction, although the impact of AF type ---new-onset (nAF) or pre-existing (pAF) ---is still controversial. Objectives: To identify the clinical differences and prognosis of nAF and pAF during acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods: We performed a retrospective observational cohort study including 1373 consecutive patients (mean age 64 years, 77.3% male) admitted to a single center over a three-year period, with a six-month follow-up. Results: AF rhythm was identified in 14.5% patients, of whom 71.4% presented nAF and 28.6% pAF. When AF types were compared, patients with nAF more frequently presented with STelevation ACS (p=0.003). Patients with pAF, in turn, were older (p=0.032), had greater left atrial diameter (p=0.001) and were less likely to have significant coronary lesions (p=0.034). Regarding therapeutic strategy, nAF patients were more often treated by rhythm control during hospital stay (p<0.001) and were less often anticoagulated at discharge (p=0.001). Compared with the population without AF, nAF was a predictor of death during hospital stay in univariate (p<0.001) and multivariate analysis (OR 2.67, p=0.047), but pAF was not. During follow-up, pAF was associated with higher mortality (p=0.014), while nAF patients presented only a trend towards worse prognosis. Conclusions: AF during the acute phase of ACS appears to have a negative prognostic impact only in patients with nAF and not in those with pAF. 2174-2049Document downloaded from http://www.elsevier.pt, day 01/07/2015. This copy is for personal use. Any transmission of this document by any media or format is strictly prohibited. ST (p=0,003). Por sua vez, a FAp foi mais comum em doentes idosos (p=0,032), com diâmetro superior da aurícula esquerda (p=0,001) e ausência de doença coronária (p=0,034). Quanto à estratégia terapêutica, os doentes com FAn foram mais vezes submetidos a controlo de ritmo durante o internamento (p<0,001), mas menos hipocoagulados à alta (p=0,001). Quando comparada com a população sem FA, a FAn foi preditora de morte hospitalar na análise univariada (p<0,001) e multivariada (OR 2,67, p=0,047), enquanto a FAp não. Já no follow-up, a FAp associou-se a maior mortalidade (p=0,014), enquanto os doentes com FAn apresentaram apenas uma tendência para um pior prognóstico. Conclusões: O impacto prognóstico negativo da FA na fase aguda das SCA parece ocorrer apenas nos doentes que apresentam FAn e não naqueles com FAp. PALAVRAS-CHAVE

In the studied population, SCAD was more prevalent in middle-aged women. Despite the high prevalence of in-hospital re-infarction or during follow-up, the prognosis was good overall.

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