Hospital admissions and deaths due to acute cardiovascular events during the COVID-19 pandemic in residents of long-term care facilities.

Hospital admissions due to acute cardiovascular events dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population; however, evidence for residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) is sparse. We investigated rates of hospital admissions and deaths due to myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in LTCF residents during the pandemic. Our nationwide cohort study used claims data. The sample comprised 1,140,139 AOK-ensured LTCF residents over 60 years of age (68.6% women; age 85.3 ± 8.5 years) from the largest statutory health insurance in Germany (AOK), which is not representative for all LTCF residents. We included MI and stroke admission and compared numbers of in-hospital deaths from January 2020 to end of April 2021 (i.e., during the first three waves of the pandemic) with the number of incidences in 2015-2019. To estimate incidence risk ratios (IRR), adjusted Poisson regression analyses were applied. During the observation period (2015-2021), there were 19,196 MI and 73,953 stroke admissions. MI admissions declined in the pandemic phase by 22.5% (IRR = 0.68 [CI 0.65-0.72]) compared to previous years. This decline was slightly more pronounced for NSTEMI than for STEMI. MI fatality risks remained comparable across years (IRR = 0.97 [CI95% 0.92-1.02]). Stroke admissions dropped by 15.1% (IRR = 0.75 [CI95% 0.72-0.78]) in the pandemic. There was an elevated case fatality risk for haemorrhagic stroke (IRR = 1.09 [CI95% 1.03-1.15]) but not for other stroke subtypes compared to previous years. This study provides first evidence of declines in MI and stroke admissions and in-hospital deaths among LTCF residents during the pandemic. The figures are alarming given the acute nature of the conditions and the vulnerability of the residents.

Prevalence, correlates, and network analysis of depression and its association with quality of life in survivors with myocardial infarction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Depression is common among myocardial infarction (MI) survivors and is strongly associated with poor quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence, correlates and the network structure of depression, and its association with QOL in MI survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated depression and QOL in MI survivors with the Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Univariable analyses, multivariable analyses, and network analyses were performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression (PHQ-9 total score ≥ 5) among 565 MI survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic was 38.1 % (95 % CI: 34.1-42.1 %), which was significantly associated with poor QOL. Patients with depression were less likely to consult a doctor regularly after discharge, and more likely to experience more severe anxiety symptoms and fatigue. Item PHQ4 "Fatigue" was the most central symptom in the network, followed by PHQ6 "Guilt" and PHQ2 "Sad mood". The flow network showed that PHQ4 "Fatigue" had the highest negative association with QOL. CONCLUSION: Depression was prevalent among MI survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic and was significantly associated with poor QOL. Those who failed to consult a doctor regularly after discharge or reported severe anxiety symptoms and fatigue should be screened for depression. Effective interventions for MI survivors targeting central symptoms, especially fatigue, are needed to reduce the negative impact of depression and improve QOL.

Impact of diabetes on emergency care of acute myocardial infarction patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a nationwide population-based study.

Background: Although acute myocardial infarction (AMI) requires timely intervention, limited nationwide data is available regarding the association between disruption of emergency services and outcomes of patients with AMI during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Moreover, whether diabetes mellitus (DM) adversely affects disease severity in these patients has not yet been investigated. Methods: This nationwide population-based study analyzed 45,648 patients with AMI, using data from the national registry of emergency departments (ED) in Korea. Frequency of ED visits and disease severity were compared between the COVID-19 outbreak period (year 2020) and the control period (the previous year 2019). Results: The number of ED visits by patients with AMI decreased during the first, second, and third waves of the outbreak period compared to the corresponding time period in the control period (all p-values < 0.05). A longer duration from symptom onset to ED visit (p = 0.001) and ED stay (p = 0.001) and higher rates of resuscitation, ventilation care, and extracorporeal membrane oxygen insertion were observed during the outbreak period than during the control period (all p-values < 0.05). These findings were exacerbated in patients with comorbid DM; Compared to patients without DM, patients with DM demonstrated delayed ED visits, longer ED stays, more intensive care unit admissions (p < 0.001), longer hospitalizations (p < 0.001), and higher rates of resuscitation, intubation, and hemodialysis (all p-values < 0.05) during the outbreak period. While in-hospital mortality was similar in AMI patients with and without comorbid DM during the two periods (4.3 vs. 4.4%; p = 0.671), patients with DM who had other comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease or heart failure or were aged ≥ 80 years had higher in-hospital mortality compared with those without any of the comorbidities (3.1 vs. 6.0%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: During the pandemic, the number of patients with AMI presenting to the ED decreased compared with that of the previous year, while the disease severity increased, particularly in patients with comorbid DM.

Clinical characteristics and 12-month outcomes of patients with myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: SARS­CoV­2 infection is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic complications. Thromboembolism is one of the possible causes of myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare the characteristics and 12­month clinical outcomes of patients with MINOCA treated before and during the COVID­19 pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of 51 734 patients with acute myocardial infarction registered in the nationwide Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes database in 2019 and 2020. The final study group included 3178 patients with MINOCA. We compared the baseline characteristics, management strategies, and 12­month clinical outcomes of the MINOCA patients treated before (2019) and during the COVID­19 pandemic (2020). RESULTS: The rate of MINOCA was higher in 2019 than in 2020 (6.3% vs 5.9%; P = 0.03). The only difference between the groups was a higher hypercholesterolemia rate before the pandemic (33.9% vs 28.2%; P <0.001). In­hospital stroke was observed more frequently during the pandemic (0% vs 0.3%; P = 0.01), whereas other in­hospital complications were similar between the groups. Most patients were discharged on aspirin (85.6%), a ß­blocker (73.1%), an angiotensin­converting enzyme inhibitor / angiotensin receptor blocker (70.2%), and a statin (62.7%), but only 50.6% of the participants received a P2Y12 inhibitor. There was no difference in 12­month all­cause mortality between the patients with MINOCA treated before and during the pandemic (9.2% vs 11%; P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a lower percentage of MINOCA cases and higher in­hospital stroke rates in the MINOCA patients treated during the COVID­19 pandemic (2020). The possible association between worse clinical outcomes of the MINOCA patients treated during the pandemic and the increased risk for thromboembolic complications of SARS­CoV­2 infection needs further evaluation.

BNT162b2 or CoronaVac Vaccinations Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke After SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Patients With Cardiovascular Disease.

Background COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and mortality. The association between vaccination and risk of cardiovascular complications shortly after SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with cardiovascular disease remains unknown. Methods and Results A case-control study was conducted with cases defined as patients who had myocardial infarction or stroke within 28 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection between January 1, 2022 and August 15, 2022. Controls were defined as all other patients who attended any health services and were not cases. Individuals without history of cardiovascular disease were excluded. Each case was randomly matched with 10 controls according to sex, age, Charlson comorbidity index, and date of hospital admission. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was estimated using conditional logistic regression. We identified 808 cases matched with 7771 controls among all patients with cardiovascular disease. Results showed that vaccination with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac was associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction or stroke after SARS-CoV-2 infection with a dose-response relationship. For BNT162b2, risk decreased from 0.49 (95% CI, 0.29-0.84) to 0.30 (95% CI, 0.20-0.44) and 0.17 (95% CI, 0.08-0.34) from 1 to 3 doses, respectively. Similar trends were observed for CoronaVac, with risk decreased from 0.69 (95% CI, 0.57-0.85) to 0.42 (95% CI, 0.34-0.52) and 0.32 (95% CI, 0.21-0.49) from 1 to 3 doses, respectively. Conclusions Vaccination with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac is associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction or stroke after SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular outcomes of type 2 myocardial infarction among COVID-19 patients: a propensity matched national study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction Type II (T2MI) is a prevalent cause of troponin elevation secondary to a variety of conditions causing stress/demand mismatch. The impact of T2MI on outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is not well studied. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from the year 2020 was queried to identify COVID-19 patients with T2MI during the index hospitalization. Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes 'U07.1' and 'I21.A1' were used as disease identifiers for COVID-19 and T2MI respectively. Multivariate adjusted Odds ratio (aOR) and propensity score matching (PSM) was done to compare outcomes among COVID patients with and without T2MI. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1,678,995 COVID-19-weighted hospitalizations were identified in the year 2020, of which 41,755 (2.48%) patients had T2MI compared to 1,637,165 (97.5%) without T2MI. Patients with T2MI had higher adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality (aOR 1.44, PSM 32.27%, 95% CI 1.34-1.54) sudden cardiac arrest (aOR 1.29, PSM 6.6%, 95% CI 1.17-1.43) and CS (aOR 2.16, PSM 2.73%, 95% CI 1.85-2.53) compared to patients without T2MI. The rate of coronary angiography (CA) in T2MI with COVID was 1.19%, with significant use of CA among patients with T2MI complicated by CS compared to those without CS (4% vs 1.1%, p < 0.001). Additionally, COVID-19 patients with T2MI had an increased prevalence of sepsis compared to COVID-19 without T2MI (48% vs 24.1%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 patients with T2MI had worse cardiovascular outcomes with significantly higher in-hospital mortality, SCA, and CS compared to those without T2MI. Long-term mortality and morbidity among COVID-19 patients who had T2MI will need to be clarified in future studies. [Figure: see text].

Longitudinal Trends in Cardiovascular Risk Factor Profiles and Complications Among Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 Infection: Results From the American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved through multiple phases characterized by new viral variants, vaccine development, and changes in therapies. It is unknown whether rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profiles and complications have changed over time. METHODS: We analyzed the American Heart Association COVID-19 CVD registry, a national multicenter registry of hospitalized adults with active COVID-19 infection. The time period from April 2020 to December 2021 was divided into 3-month epochs, with March 2020 analyzed separately as a potential outlier. Participating centers varied over the study period. Trends in all-cause in-hospital mortality, CVD risk factors, and in-hospital CVD outcomes, including a composite primary outcome of cardiovascular death, cardiogenic shock, new heart failure, stroke, and myocardial infarction, were evaluated across time epochs. Risk-adjusted analyses were performed using generalized linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: A total of 46 007 patient admissions from 134 hospitals were included (mean patient age 61.8 years, 53% male, 22% Black race). Patients admitted later in the pandemic were younger, more likely obese, and less likely to have existing CVD (Ptrend ≤0.001 for each). The incidence of the primary outcome increased from 7.0% in March 2020 to 9.8% in October to December 2021 (risk-adjusted Ptrend=0.006). This was driven by an increase in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction and stroke (Ptrend<0.0001 for each). The overall rate of in-hospital mortality was 14.2%, which declined over time (20.8% in March 2020 versus 10.8% in the last epoch; adjusted Ptrend<0.0001). When the analysis was restricted to July 2020 to December 2021, no temporal change in all-cause mortality was seen (adjusted Ptrend=0.63). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a shifting risk factor profile toward a younger population with lower rates of established CVD, the incidence of diagnosed cardiovascular complications of COVID increased from the onset of the pandemic through December 2021. All-cause mortality decreased during the initial months of the pandemic and thereafter remained consistently high through December 2021.

Impact of COVID-19 on Acute Myocardial Infarction Care.

The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved rapidly to overburden health care organizations around the world and has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. Many countries have reported a substantial and rapid reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous coronary intervention. The reasons for such abrupt changes in health care delivery are multifactorial and include lockdowns, reduction in outpatient services, reluctance to seek medical attention for fear of contracting the virus, and restrictive visitation policies adopted during the pandemic. This review discusses the impact of COVID-19 on important aspects of acute MI care.

Nuclear Cardiology in the COVID-19 pandemic.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has a very important relationship with cardiovascular disease. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a close relationship has been observed between cardiovascular comorbidity and a worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients. The study of the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and cardiovascular disease suggests several concomitant hypotheses: direct myocardial damage by the virus, hypoxemia secondary to respiratory failure, inflammatory response to infection and/or thromboembolic phenomena. Cardiovascular damage can manifest in the acute phase of infection with acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, arrhythmias…, during this phase Nuclear Cardiology procedures have not played a determining role in the diagnosis and management of these patients. On the other hand, in the subacute phase of the infection and in the post-acute COVID syndrome, Nuclear Cardiology seems to shed light on what happens in the cardiovascular system in this phase of the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a great challenge for health systems, with a significant reduction in non-urgent diagnostic procedures with the aim of reducing the risk of transmission to patients and health personnel. Nuclear Cardiology has not been an exception. In addition to the prioritization of urgent/non-deferrable procedures and general screening, hygiene and distance measures, the main organizations and scientific societies of Nuclear Medicine and Nuclear Cardiology released recommendations and guidelines for safe practice, introducing significant changes in myocardial perfusion SPECT protocols.

[Features of the course of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in patients with a history of COVID-19].

Aim      To study the clinical course of non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in hospitalized patients after COVID-19 and to evaluate the effect of baseline characteristics of patients on the risk of complications.Material and methods  The study included 209 patients with NSTEMI; 104 of them had had COVID-19. The course of myocardial infarction (MI) was analyzed at the hospital stage, including evaluation of the incidence rate of complications (fatal outcome, recurrent MI, life-threatening arrhythmias and conduction disorders, pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, ischemic stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding).Results Mean age of patients after COVID-19 was 61.8±12.2 years vs. 69.0±13.0 in the comparison group (p<0.0001). The groups were comparable by risk factors, clinical data, and severity of coronary damage. Among those who have had СOVID-19, there were fewer patients of the GRACE high risk group (55.8 % vs. 74.3 %; p<0.05). Convalescent COVID-19 patients had higher levels of C-reactive protein and troponin I (p<0.05). The groups did not significantly differ in the incidence of unfavorable NSTEMI course (p>0.05). However, effects of individual factors (postinfarction cardiosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, decreased SpO2, red blood cell concentration, increased plasma glucose) on the risk of complications were significantly greater for patients after COVID-19 than for the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion      Patients with NSTEMI, despite differences in clinical history and laboratory data, are characterized by a similar risk of death at the hospital stage, regardless of the past COVID-19. Despite the absence of statistically significant differences in the incidence of in-hospital complications, in general, post-COVID-19 patients showed a higher risk of complicated course of NSTEMI compared to patients who had not have COVID-19. In addition, for this category of patients, new factors were identified that previously did not exert a clinically significant effect on the incidence of complications: female gender, concentration of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 ≥200.0 U/l, concentration of С-reactive protein ≥40.0 mg/l, total protein <65 g/l. These results can be used for additional stratification of risk for cardiovascular complications in patients with MI and also for development of individual protocols for evaluation and management of NSTEMI patients with a history of COVID-19.

Common coronary artery occlusions in patients with myocardial infarction.

Introduction: coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant cardiovascular disease (CVD) that affects people worldwide. This study aimed to determine the main occluded coronary arteries in patients with myocardial infarction in Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted between March 2020 and March 2021 and involving 661 myocardial infarction patients recruited from two hospitals (King Khalid Hospital and Prince Sultan Centre for Healthcare in Najran) used sampling for enrolled patients. Patients over the age of 15 years, current residents of KSA, and diagnosed with coronary artery occlusion based on at least one identifiable coronary lesion on a coronary angiography were considered eligible. We created generalized linear mixed models to investigate patients´ clinical and coronary angiographic features and identify statistically relevant components. Results: there were 661 CAD cases in this study: 548 (82.9%) males and 113 (17.1%) females, with a mean and standard deviation (SD) age of 4.03 ± 1.370 years. Ages of the 661 participants ranged from 15 to 85, who had been diagnosed with myocardial infarction were evaluated. It was found that most of the patients were in the 55-64 age range. The majority of cases (366 (55.4%) had ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 187 (28.3%) had non-ST-segment elevation (NSTEMI), 101 (15.3%) had acute coronary syndrome-non-ST-segment elevation (ACS-NSTEMI), and 7 (1.1%) had acute coronary syndrome-ST-segment elevation (ACS-STEMI). Conclusion: the left anterior descending artery (LAD) is the commonest lesion found in both ST-segment elevation and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients.

Trends in outcomes and resource utilization for acute myocardial infarction admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the early COVID-19 pandemic, resources were at times rationed, and as a result, cardiovascular outcomes may have suffered, however despite this, there is a paucity of national data specifically examining the relationship between COVID-19 and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Some of the most robust previous cohort studies suggest the risk of AMI is increased in patients with COVID-19 infection, and disproportionately so in certain patient populations. To better define national trends in the associations between COVID-19 and AMI, this study aimed to examine demographics, outcomes, and health care utilization in hospitalizations for AMI with a codiagnosis of COVID-19 using a nationally representative database.

The Impact of COVID-19 National Lockdown on Myocardial Infarction (MI) Hospitalizations in Northern Jordan.

Background: During COVID-19 lockdown periods, several studies reported decreased numbers of myocardial infarction (MI) admissions. The lockdown impact has not yet been determined in developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact that of the lockdown measures might have had on the mean number of MI hospital admissions in Northern Jordan. Methodology: A single-center study examined consecutive admissions of MI patients during COVID-19 outbreak. Participants' data was abstracted from the medical records of King Abdullah University Hospital between 2018 and 2020. Mean and percentages of monthly admissions were compared by year and by lockdown status (pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown time intervals). Results: A total of 1380 participants were admitted with acute MI symptoms: 59.2% of which were STEMI. A decrease in number of MI admissions was observed in 2020, from 43.1 (SD: 8.017) cases per month in 2019 to 40.59 (SD: 10.763) in 2020 (P < 0.0001) while an increase in the numbers during the lockdown was observed. The mean number during the pre-lockdown period was 40.51 (SD: 8.883), the lockdown period was 44.74 (SD: 5.689) and the post-lockdown was 34.66 (SD: 6.026) (P < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Similar patterns were observed when percentages of admissions were used. Conclusion: Upon comparing the lockdown period both to the pre- and post-lockdown periods separately, we found a significant increase in MI admissions during the lockdown period. This suggests that lockdown-related stress may have increased the risk of myocardial infarction.

Increased risk of acute myocardial infarction after COVID-19 recovery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have analyzed the incidence and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during the post-acute phase of COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence and risk of AMI in COVID-19 survivors after SARS-CoV-2 infection by a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data. METHODS: Data were obtained searching MEDLINE and Scopus for all studies published at any time up to September 1, 2022 and reporting the risk of incident AMI in patients recovered from COVID-19 infection. AMI risk was evaluated using the Mantel-Haenszel random effects models with Hazard ratio (HR) as the effect measure with 95% confidence interval (CI) while heterogeneity was assessed using Higgins and Thomson I2 statistic. RESULTS: Among 2765 articles obtained by our search strategy, four studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria for a total of 20,875,843 patients (mean age 56.1 years, 59.1% males). Of them, 1,244,604 had COVID-19 infection. Over a mean follow-up of 8.5 months, among COVID-19 recovered patients AMI occurred in 3.5 cases per 1.000 individuals compared to 2.02 cases per 1.000 individuals in the control cohort, defined as those who did not experience COVID-19 infection in the same period). COVID-19 patients showed an increased risk of incident AMI (HR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.65-2.26, p < 0.0001, I2 = 83.5%). Meta-regression analysis demonstrated that the risk of AMI was directly associated with age (p = 0.01) and male gender (p = 0.001), while an indirect relationship was observed when the length of follow-up was utilized as moderator (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 recovered patients had an increased risk of AMI.

Outcomes among patients admitted for non-ST-segment myocardial infarction in the pre-pandemic and pandemic COVID-19 era: Israel Nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019, several countries have reported a substantial drop in the number of patients admitted with non-ST-segment myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the changes in admissions, in-hospital management and outcomes of patients with NSTEMI in the COVID-19 era in a nationwide survey. METHOD: A prospective, multicenter, observational, nationwide study involving 13 medical centers across Israel aimed to evaluate consecutive patients with NSTEMI admitted to intensive cardiac care units over an 8-week period during the COVID-19 outbreak and to compare them with NSTEMI patients admitted at the same period 2 years earlier (control period). RESULTS: There were 624 (43%) NSTEMI patients, of whom 349 (56%) were hospitalized during the COVID-19 era and 275 (44%) during the control period. There were no significant differences in age, gender and other baseline characteristics between the two study periods. During the COVID-19 era, more patients arrived at the hospital via an emergency medical system compared with the control period (P = 0.05). Time from symptom onset to hospital admission was longer in the COVID-19 era as compared with the control period [11.5 h (interquartile range, IQR, 2.5-46.7) vs. 2.9 h (IQR 1.7-6.8), respectively, P < 0.001]. Nevertheless, the time from hospital admission to reperfusion was similar in both groups. The rate of coronary angiography was also similar in both groups. The in-hospital mortality rate was similar in both the COVID-19 era and the control period groups (2.3% vs. 4.7%, respectively, P = 0.149) as was the 30-day mortality rate (3.7% vs. 5.1%, respectively, P = 0.238). CONCLUSION: In contrast to previous reports, admission rates of NSTEMI were similar in this nationwide survey during the COVID-19 era. With longer time from symptoms to admission, but with the same time from hospital admission to reperfusion therapy and with similar in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates. Even in times of crisis, adherence of medical systems to clinical practice guidelines ensures the preservation of good clinical outcomes.

The growing need for reliable online health information during lockdown in Europe: An infodemiologic analysis of myocardial infarction management in the COVID-19 era.

I n t r o d u c t i o n: The COVID-19 pandemic has put healthcare systems worldwide under huge strain, resulting in a significant loss of their capacity and availability. Patients have become more reluctant to contact their doctors or call an ambulance in case of myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms onset. It has been accompanied by a significant decrease in the number of coronary angiography and PCI procedures performed. O b j e c t i v e s: The aim of the study is to evaluate the role of online health information in the patient- dependent phase of MI management during the COVID-19 lockdown in Europe. Methods: We analyzed Google Trends data on the popularity of phrases related to MI symptoms, respiratory tract infection, urological complaints, and terms unrelated to health, for the period of the first COVID-19 lockdown, along with the data from the corresponding weeks from 2017-2019 in seven European countries. R e s u l t s: The search volume for particular symptoms of myocardial infarction increased in all studied countries, compared to the analogous period from 2017-2019, with a significant increase in for chest pain, shortness of breath, fear, and palpitations in most countries. These changes have not been accompanied by increased interest in terms related to respiratory tract infection symptoms and urological complaints. C o n c l u s i o n s: Our findings suggest that during lockdown, patients with MI symptoms may have tried to manage their complaints on their own, using information from the Internet. This demonstrates the growing role of the Internet in the patient's decision-making process in the emergency situation, indicating a growing need for reliable and freely available online information provided by healthcare professionals.