Impact of multivessel disease on myocardial perfusion and survival among patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Although primary angioplasty achieves thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 flow in most patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, epicardial recanalization does not guarantee optimal perfusion in a large proportion of patients. The influence of multivessel disease on myocardial reperfusion and survival after primary angioplasty has not been extensively investigated.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of multivessel disease on myocardial perfusion and survival in a large cohort of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with angioplasty and glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors.

METHODS: This analysis is based on 1494 patients undergoing primary angioplasty included in the EGYPT database. Myocardial perfusion was evaluated by angiography or ST-segment resolution, whereas infarct size was estimated by using peak creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB). Follow-up data were collected between 30 days and 1 year after primary angioplasty.

RESULTS: Multivessel disease was observed in 870 patients (58.2%). The extent of coronary artery disease was associated with age, diabetes, hypertension, previous myocardial infarction, previous revascularization, abciximab treatment and longer ischaemic time, and was independently associated with impaired angiographic myocardial perfusion (adjusted odds ratio 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.40, P=0.049). At 208±160 days, the extent of coronary artery disease was independently associated with higher mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.54, 95% CI 1.06-2.24, P=0.022).

CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty with GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor treatment, the extent of coronary artery disease was independently associated with impaired myocardial perfusion and survival.