Clinical Benefit of Low Molecular Weight Heparin for ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitor

The efficacy of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) with low dose unfractionated heparin (UFH) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa inhibitor compared to UFH with or without Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor has not been elucidated. Between October 2005 and July 2007, 2,535 patients with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing PCI in the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR) were assigned to either of two groups: a group with Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor (n=476) or a group without Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor (n=2,059). These groups were further subdivided according to the use of LMWH with low dose UFH (n=219) or UFH alone (n=257). The primary end points were cardiac death or myocardial infarction during the 30 days after the registration. The primary end point occurred in 4.1% (9/219) of patients managed with LMWH during PCI and Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor and 10.8% (28/257) of patients managed with UFH and Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor (odds ratio [OR], 0.290; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.132-0.634; P=0.006). Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) with major bleeding was observed in LMHW and UFH with Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor (1/219 [0.5%] vs 1/257 [0.4%], P=1.00). For patients with STEMI managed with a primary PCI and Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor, LMWH is more beneficial than UFH.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes Following Acute Myocardial Infarctions in Hypertensive Patients With or Without Diabetes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is thought that patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a poor prognosis after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but the effect of diabetes on the outcomes of hypertensive patients with AMIs has not been elucidated in the Korean population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of diabetes on long-term clinical outcomes following AMIs in patients with hypertension. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Using data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (November 2005 to December 2006), 2,233 hypertensive patients with AMIs were grouped as follows based on the presence of DM: group I, diabetic hypertension (n=892, 544 men, mean age=66.2+/-10.9 years); and group II, non-diabetic hypertension (n=1341, 938 men, mean age=63.9+/-12.8 years). The primary study outcomes included in-hospital death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE; cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass surgery) at the 1 year follow-up. RESULTS: Hypertensive patients with DM were older and more likely to be women. The diabetic group had lower blood pressure (p<0.001), a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (p<0.001), a more severe degree of heart failure (p<0.001), a longer duration of coronary care unit admission (p<0.001), and a higher incidence of hyperlipidemia (p=0.007). The N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide level (4602.5+/-8710.6 pg/mL vs. 2320.8+/-5837.9 pg/mL, p<0.001) was higher and the creatinine clearance (62.4+/-29.9 mL/min vs. 73.0+/-40.8 mL/min, p<0.001) was lower in the diabetic group than the non-diabetic group. Coronary angiographic findings revealed more frequent involvement of the left main stem (p=0.002) and multiple vessels (p<0.001) in the diabetic group. The rate of in-hospital death was higher in the diabetic group (p<0.001). During follow-up, the rates of composite MACE at 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months were higher in the diabetic group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In hypertensive patients with AMI, DM was associated with worse clinical and angiographic features, with a higher risk of development of severe heart failure, and an increased risk of MACE on long-term clinical follow-up.