Plasma cortisol and prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

AIMS: Cortisol is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure and in the general population. The negative predictive effect of cortisol on survival in non-diabetic patients who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been shown. We aimed to determine the prognostic significance of cortisol in a general group of AMI patients, as this is not well known. METHODS: Plasma cortisol levels were measured in 955 consecutive patients admitted with AMI. We prospectively evaluated the relationship between cortisol and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), which was a composite of all-cause mortality, and combination all-cause mortality and re-hospitalization for heart failure, in post-AMI patients. RESULTS: During the 2-year follow-up, MACE occurred in 261 patients (27.3%). Patients with MACE had significantly higher median levels of cortisol than those without (609.4 versus 549.4 pmol/ml, P = 0.0073). Log cortisol was independently predictive of MACE after adjusting for covariates with hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.55 (1.05-2.27), P = 0.027. Patients in the highest quartile of cortisol had significantly more risk of MACE compared with those in the lowest quartile, with an adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.91(1.16-3.15), P = 0.0120. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for MACE were lower in patients with plasma cortisol levels in the highest quartile compared with those in the first three quartiles (Log rank test χ² for survival = 10.41, P = 0.0013). CONCLUSION: This study has shown the prognostic significance of cortisol in 955 post-AMI patients from a single centre.

Aldosterone predicts major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Aldosterone is associated with increased mortality in chronic heart failure patients and correlates with adverse outcomes after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in smaller cohorts. We evaluated the prognostic significance of plasma aldosterone in a large cohort of post-AMI patients in relation to major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: University Hospitals of Leicester, UK. PATIENTS: Consecutive 955 patients admitted with AMI. Plasma aldosterone levels were measured in these patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: During the 2 years follow-up, MACE which was a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial reinfarction, and hospitalisation for heart failure as well as secondary endpoints (all-cause mortality and a combination of all-cause mortality and hospitalisation for heart failure), were ascertained. RESULTS: MACE occured in N=261, 27.3%, all-cause mortality (N=114, 11.9%) and a combination of all-cause mortality and hospitalisation for heart failure (N=176, 18.4%). Patients with MACE had significantly higher median levels of aldosterone than those without (1150.1 vs 950.4 pmol/l, p=0.0118). The multivariate adjusted HR (95% CI) for log aldosterone on MACE was 1.26 (1.01 to 1.56), p=0.041; all-cause mortality 1.60 (1.13 to 2.27), p=0.008; and combination of all-cause mortality and heart failure 1.50 (1.14 to 1.97), p=0.003. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic significance of aldosterone for a variety of endpoints in this large cohort of post-AMI patients is not new and adds to the findings by others. The magnitude of the increase in aldosterone secretion post infarction is higher than previously believed.