Smokeless tobacco, snus, at admission for percutaneous coronary intervention and future risk for cardiac events

Objective To assess the risk of future death and cardiac events following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients using smokeless tobacco, snus, compared with patients not using snus at admission for a first PCI. Methods The Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry is a prospective registry on coronary diagnostic procedures and interventions. A total of 74 958 patients admitted for a first PCI were enrolled between 2009 and 2018, 6790 snus users and 68 168 not using snus. We used Cox proportional hazards regression for statistical modelling on imputed datasets as well as complete-case datasets. Results Patients using snus were younger (mean (SD) age 61.0 (±10.2) years) than patients not using snus (67.6 (±11.1), p<0.001) and more often male (95.4% vs 67.4%, p<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, snus use was not associated with the primary composite outcome of all-cause mortality, new coronary revascularisation or new hospitalisation for heart failure at 1 year (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.05). In patients using snus at baseline who underwent a second PCI (n=1443), the duration from the index intervention was shorter for subjects who continued using snus (n=921, 63.8%) compared with subjects who had stopped (mean number of days 285 vs 406, p value=0.001). Conclusions Snus use at admission for a first PCI was not associated with a higher occurrence of all-cause mortality, new revascularisation or heart failure hospitalisation. Discontinuing snus after a first PCI was associated with a significantly longer duration to a subsequent PCI

Smokeless tobacco, snus, at admission for percutaneous coronary intervention and future risk for cardiac events

Objective To assess the risk of future death and cardiac events following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients using smokeless tobacco, snus, compared with patients not using snus at admission for a first PCI. Methods The Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry is a prospective registry on coronary diagnostic procedures and interventions. A total of 74 958 patients admitted for a first PCI were enrolled between 2009 and 2018, 6790 snus users and 68 168 not using snus. We used Cox proportional hazards regression for statistical modelling on imputed datasets as well as complete-case datasets. Results Patients using snus were younger (mean (SD) age 61.0 (±10.2) years) than patients not using snus (67.6 (±11.1), p<0.001) and more often male (95.4% vs 67.4%, p<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, snus use was not associated with the primary composite outcome of all-cause mortality, new coronary revascularisation or new hospitalisation for heart failure at 1 year (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.05). In patients using snus at baseline who underwent a second PCI (n=1443), the duration from the index intervention was shorter for subjects who continued using snus (n=921, 63.8%) compared with subjects who had stopped (mean number of days 285 vs 406, p value=0.001). Conclusions Snus use at admission for a first PCI was not associated with a higher occurrence of all-cause mortality, new revascularisation or heart failure hospitalisation. Discontinuing snus after a first PCI was associated with a significantly longer duration to a subsequent PCI

beta-Blocker Use and Mortality in COPD Patients After Myocardial Infarction : A Swedish Nationwide Observational Study

Background-Patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitute a high-risk group with increased mortality. beta-Blocker therapy has been shown to reduce mortality, prevent arrhythmias, and delay heart failure development after an MI in broad populations. However, the effect of beta-blockers in COPD patients is less well established and they may also be less treated due to fear of adverse reactions. We investigated beta-blocker prescription at discharge in patients with COPD after MI. ethods and Results-Patients hospitalized for MI between 2005 and 2010 were identified from the nationwide Swedish SWEDEHEART registry. Patients with COPD who were alive and discharged after an MI were selected as the study population. In this cohort, patients who were discharged with beta-blockers were compared to patients not discharged with beta-blockers. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. A total of 4858 patients were included, of which 4086 (84.1%) were discharged with a beta-blocker while 772 (15.9%) were not. After adjusting for potential confounders including baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and in-hospital characteristics, patients discharged with a beta-blocker had lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.98) during the total follow-up time (maximum 7.2 years). In the subgroup of patients with a history of heart failure, the corresponding hazard ratio was 0.77 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.95). Conclusions-Patients with COPD discharged with beta-blockers after an MI had a lower all-cause mortality compared to patients not prescribed beta-blockers. The results indicate that MI patients with COPD may benefit from beta-blockers

Heparin pre-treatment in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and the risk of intracoronary thrombus and total vessel occlusion. Insights from the TASTE trial

BACKGROUND: Pre-treatment with unfractionated heparin is common in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) protocols, but the effect on intracoronary thrombus burden is unknown. We studied the effect of heparin pre-treatment on intracoronary thrombus burden and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow prior to percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with STEMI.METHODS: The Thrombus Aspiration in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Scandinavia (TASTE) trial angiographically assessed intracoronary thrombus burden and TIMI flow, prior to percutaneous coronary intervention, in patients with STEMI. In this observational sub-study, patients pre-treated with heparin were compared with patients not pre-treated with heparin. Primary end points were a visible intracoronary thrombus and total vessel occlusion prior to percutaneous coronary intervention. Secondary end points were in-hospital bleeding, in-hospital stroke and 30-day all-cause mortality.RESULTS: Heparin pre-treatment was administered in 2898 out of 7144 patients (41.0%). Patients pre-treated with heparin less often presented with an intracoronary thrombus (61.3% vs. 66.0%, p<0.001) and total vessel occlusion (62.9% vs. 71.6%, p<0.001). After adjustments, heparin pre-treatment was independently associated with a reduced risk of intracoronary thrombus (odds ratio (OR) 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.65-0.83) and total vessel occlusion (OR 0.64, 95% CI=0.56-0.73), prior to percutaneous coronary intervention. There were no significant differences in secondary end points of in-hospital bleeding (OR 0.84, 95% CI=0.55-1.27), in-hospital stroke (OR 1.17, 95% CI=0.48-2.82) or 30-day all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.88, 95% CI=0.60-1.30).CONCLUSIONS: Heparin pre-treatment was independently associated with a lower risk of intracoronary thrombus and total vessel occlusion before percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with STEMI, without evident safety concerns, in this large multi-centre observational study

beta-Blocker Use and Mortality in COPD Patients After Myocardial Infarction : A Swedish Nationwide Observational Study

Background-Patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitute a high-risk group with increased mortality. beta-Blocker therapy has been shown to reduce mortality, prevent arrhythmias, and delay heart failure development after an MI in broad populations. However, the effect of beta-blockers in COPD patients is less well established and they may also be less treated due to fear of adverse reactions. We investigated beta-blocker prescription at discharge in patients with COPD after MI. ethods and Results-Patients hospitalized for MI between 2005 and 2010 were identified from the nationwide Swedish SWEDEHEART registry. Patients with COPD who were alive and discharged after an MI were selected as the study population. In this cohort, patients who were discharged with beta-blockers were compared to patients not discharged with beta-blockers. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. A total of 4858 patients were included, of which 4086 (84.1%) were discharged with a beta-blocker while 772 (15.9%) were not. After adjusting for potential confounders including baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and in-hospital characteristics, patients discharged with a beta-blocker had lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.98) during the total follow-up time (maximum 7.2 years). In the subgroup of patients with a history of heart failure, the corresponding hazard ratio was 0.77 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.95). Conclusions-Patients with COPD discharged with beta-blockers after an MI had a lower all-cause mortality compared to patients not prescribed beta-blockers. The results indicate that MI patients with COPD may benefit from beta-blockers

Heparin pre-treatment in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and the risk of intracoronary thrombus and total vessel occlusion. Insights from the TASTE trial

BACKGROUND: Pre-treatment with unfractionated heparin is common in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) protocols, but the effect on intracoronary thrombus burden is unknown. We studied the effect of heparin pre-treatment on intracoronary thrombus burden and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow prior to percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with STEMI.METHODS: The Thrombus Aspiration in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Scandinavia (TASTE) trial angiographically assessed intracoronary thrombus burden and TIMI flow, prior to percutaneous coronary intervention, in patients with STEMI. In this observational sub-study, patients pre-treated with heparin were compared with patients not pre-treated with heparin. Primary end points were a visible intracoronary thrombus and total vessel occlusion prior to percutaneous coronary intervention. Secondary end points were in-hospital bleeding, in-hospital stroke and 30-day all-cause mortality.RESULTS: Heparin pre-treatment was administered in 2898 out of 7144 patients (41.0%). Patients pre-treated with heparin less often presented with an intracoronary thrombus (61.3% vs. 66.0%, p<0.001) and total vessel occlusion (62.9% vs. 71.6%, p<0.001). After adjustments, heparin pre-treatment was independently associated with a reduced risk of intracoronary thrombus (odds ratio (OR) 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.65-0.83) and total vessel occlusion (OR 0.64, 95% CI=0.56-0.73), prior to percutaneous coronary intervention. There were no significant differences in secondary end points of in-hospital bleeding (OR 0.84, 95% CI=0.55-1.27), in-hospital stroke (OR 1.17, 95% CI=0.48-2.82) or 30-day all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.88, 95% CI=0.60-1.30).CONCLUSIONS: Heparin pre-treatment was independently associated with a lower risk of intracoronary thrombus and total vessel occlusion before percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with STEMI, without evident safety concerns, in this large multi-centre observational study