Real-world clopidogrel utilization in acute coronary syndromes : patients selection and outcomes in a single-center experience

Background: With this study, we sought to identify patient characteristics associated with clopidogrel prescription and its relationship with in-hospital adverse events in an unselected cohort of ACSs patients. Materials and Methods: We studied all consecutive patients admitted at our institution for ACSs from 2012 to 2014. Patients were divided into two groups based on clopidogrel or novel P2Y12 inhibitors (prasugrel or ticagrelor) prescription and the relationship between clopidogrel use and patient clinical characteristics and in-hospital adverse events was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Results: The population median age was 68 years (57\u201377 year) and clopidogrel was prescribed in 230 patients (46%). Patients characteristics associated with clopidogrel prescription were older age, female sex, non-ST-elevation ACS diagnosis, the presence of diabetes mellitus and anemia, worse renal and left ventricular functions and a higher Killip class. Patients on clopidogrel demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of in-hospital mortality (4.8%) than prasugrel and ticagrelor-treated patients (0.4%), while a nonstatistically significant trend emerged considering bleeding events. However, on multivariable logistic regression analysis female sex, the presence of anemia and Killip class were the only variables independently associated with in-hospital death. Conclusion: Patients treated with clopidogrel showed a higher in-hospital mortality. However, clinical variables associated with its use identify a population at high risk for adverse events and this seems to play a major role for the higher in-hospital mortality observed in clopidogrel-treated patients

L’iperuricemia cronica con e senza deposito di urato

Background L\u2019iperuricemia cronica con e senza deposito di urato monosodico nei tessuti \ue8 una malattia sistemica e pu\uf2 essere considerata un fattore di rischio indipendente per lo sviluppo di molteplici complicanze quali sindrome metabolica, ipertensione, malattia cardiovascolare e malattia renale. In Italia, si calcola che le persone affette da iperuricemia cronica con e senza deposito di urato siano circa 1 milione, ma il dato \ue8 probabilmente sottovalutato. L\u2019impatto economico della patologia non \ue8 quindi trascurabile e la sua valutazione assume sempre pi\uf9 importanza sia in termini di costi diretti che di costi indiretti dovuti alle complicanze dell\u2019iperuricemia cronica. Queste brevi premesse sono sufficienti per comprendere come la gestione del paziente con iperuricemia meriti un approfondimento e riflessione multidisciplinare al fine di migliorare il processo clinico-assistenziale nelle diverse realt\ue0 regionali e a livello nazionale. Con questo obiettivo \ue8 stato sviluppato il progetto ARTU - Appraisal board Round Table for Uricemia, una tavola di lavoro multidisciplinare che si propone di valutare il quadro attuale e le prospettive future in ambito della gestione del paziente con iperuricemia, integrando, nel processo di miglioramento, le competenze di tutti i professionisti coinvolti. La tavola rotonda a livello lombardo ha unito i pareri e le competenze provenienti da clinici dalla medicina specialistica (cardiologia, nefrologia, geriatria), dalla medicina generale e dal mondo farmacoeconomico. La discussione \ue8 stata incentrata sull\u2019approfondimento e condivisione di contenuti di fondamentale importanza per la conoscenza e gestione della patologia, ed indirizzata a segnalare i punti pi\uf9 critici e quelli ancora interrogativi a cui trovare una risposta. In tal senso la redazione di un documento di consensus firmato da un team di Key Opinion Leader potrebbe essere un primo step significativo a livello nazionale. La tavola rotonda ha avuto quali temi cardine: gli aspetti epidemiologici della patologia, l\u2019analisi della letteratura scientifica a disposizione in merito all\u2019impatto clinico ed economico della patologia, la valutazione delle linee guida e raccomandazioni di riferimento disponibili, la diagnosi e terapia, gli aspetti pratici, organizzativi e farmacoeconomici

Clinical and biochemical prediction of early fatal outcome following hip fracture in the elderly

Hip fracture, a moderate musculoskeletal trauma, is associated with a high postoperative mortality. Most patients are elderly, with comorbid conditions and often with heart disease. The objective of this study was to find out if clinical parameters and analyses of specific muscle enzymes could predict three month postoperative mortality. A total of 302 patients above 75 years of age with hip fracture were consecutively enrolled. Baseline information on age, sex and comorbidity assessed with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score was obtained before surgery. Creatine kinase (CK), myocardium-specific creatine kinase (CK-MB) and troponin T (TnT) were analysed from venous blood, collected the day before surgery (−1) and postoperatively, within 24 hours (0) and on days one (+1) and four (+4). The overall three month mortality was 19.5%. Multivariate analyses showed that age, male sex and comorbidity (ASA) correlated with mortality (p = 0.027, p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively). Surgery induced a two- to threefold increase of CK and CK-MB but without any correlation with mortality. However, high TnT levels >0.04 μg/l correlated significantly with death (days −1, +1 and +4, p = 0.003, p = 0.005 and p = 0.003, respectively). Multivariate analyses, adjusted for age, sex and ASA category, confirmed this correlation (day +4, p = 0.008). Thus, in elderly patients with comorbidities undergoing hip fracture surgery information on sex, age, ASA category and postoperative laboratory analyses on TnT provide the clinicians with useful information on patients at risk of fatal outcome

How do cardiologists select patients for dual antiplatelet therapy continuation beyond 1 year after a myocardial infarction? Insights from the EYESHOT Post-MI Study

Background: Current guidelines suggest to consider dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) continuation for longer than 12 months in selected patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Hypothesis: We sought to assess the criteria used by cardiologists in daily practice to select patients with a history of MI eligible for DAPT continuation beyond 1 year. Methods: We analyzed data from the EYESHOT Post-MI, a prospective, observational, nationwide study aimed to evaluate the management of patients presenting to cardiologists 1 to 3 years from the last MI event. Results: Out of the 1633 post-MI patients enrolled in the study between March and December 2017, 557 (34.1%) were on DAPT at the time of enrolment, and 450 (27.6%) were prescribed DAPT after cardiologist assessment. At multivariate analyses, a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with multiple stents and the presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) resulted as independent predictors of DAPT continuation, while atrial fibrillation was the only independent predictor of DAPT interruption for patients both at the second and the third year from MI at enrolment and the time of discharge/end of the visit. Conclusions: Risk scores recommended by current guidelines for guiding decisions on DAPT duration are underused and misused in clinical practice. A PCI with multiple stents and a history of PAD resulted as the clinical variables more frequently associated with DAPT continuation beyond 1 year from the index MI

No evidence of association between prothrombotic gene polymorphisms and the development of acute myocardial infarction at a young age

Background : we investigated the association between 9 polymorphisms of genes encoding hemostasis factors and myocardial infarction in a large sample of young patients chosen because they have less coronary atherosclerosis than older patients, and thus their disease is more likely to be related to a genetic predisposition to a prothrombotic state Methods and Results : this nationwide case-control study involved 1210 patients who had survived a first myocardial infarction at an age of 45 years who underwent coronary arteriography in 125 coronary care units and 1210 healthy subjects matched for age, sex, and geographical origin. None of the 9 polymorphisms of genes encoding proteins involved in coagulation (G-455A -fibrinogen: OR, 1.0; CI, 0.8 to 1.2; G1691A factor V: OR, 1.1; CI, 0.6 to 2.1; G20210A factor II: OR, 1.0; CI, 0.5 to 1.9; and G10976A factor VII: OR, 1.0; CI, 0.8 to 1.3), platelet function (C807T glycoprotein Ia: OR, 1.1; CI, 0.9 to 1.3; and C1565T glycoprotein IIIa: OR, 0.9; CI, 0.8 to 1.2), fibrinolysis (G185T factor XIII: OR, 1.2; CI, 0.9 to 1.6; and 4G/5G plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1: OR, 0.9; CI, 0.7 to 1.2), or homocysteine metabolism (C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase: OR, 0.9; CI, 0.8 to 1.1) were associated with an increased or decreased risk of myocardial infarction Conclusions : this study provides no evidence supporting an association between 9 polymorphisms of genes encoding proteins involved in hemostasis and the occurrence of premature myocardial infarction or protection against it

Perioperative myocardial infarction in noncardiac surgery: the diagnostic and prognostic role of cardiac troponins

Despite the number of technologies used, the diagnosis of perioperative myocardial infarction is still a challenge. Studies conducted in surgical series have demonstrated that cardiac troponins (cTns) have both a superior diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, compared with other traditional techniques, and an independent power to predict short- and long-term prognosis. Nevertheless, some points need to be clarified. They include the usefulness of cTns in patients with end-stage renal failure; the standardization of the cTns cut-off for the diagnosis of myocardial injury; the timing of postoperative blood samplings; the cost-effectiveness of a screening in asymptomatic patients; and the possible therapeutic strategies