Bleeding risk assessment in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome

Nowadays,elderly people represent a growing population segment with a well known increased risk of both ischemic and bleeding events.Current acute coronary syndrome guidelines,strongly recommend dual antiplatelet therapy(DAPT)with few specific references for aged patients due to lack of evidence.Patients aged>75 years are misrepresented in the classic derivation trials cohorts.Strategies to reduce the bleeding risk in this group of patients are urgently needed for the daily clinical practice.Identify the specific age related bleeding risk factors and the importance of an integral geriatric assessment remains challenging.Some of the available in-hospital and out-hospital bleeding risk scores have shown a lower to moderate predictive ability in older patients and no specific tools are developed in elderly population.The importance of an appropriate vascular access choice,type and duration of antiplatelet drugs is crucial to reduce the bleeding risk.Increase radial approaches and short DAPT duration leads to reduce hemorrhages.One interesting subgroup of patients is those who need chronic anticoagulation therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention,due to their very high risk of bleeding.New alternatives as dual therapy with oral anticoagulation and only one antiplatlet drug should be considered.In current review,we evaluate the available evidence about bleeding risk in elderly.

Invasive strategy in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome in 2018: close to the truth?

Elderly population constitutes an increasingly larger proportion of patients admitted for acute coronary syndromes(ACS).The optimal management of ACS in these patients is still a challenge due to their clinical peculiarities and the paucity of specific data,and they have been traditionally managed more conservatively mainly based on subjective criteria.In ST^segment elevation acute myocardial infarction urgent reperfusion is the standard of care and there is no upper age limit.In non-ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction evidence is controversial,incomplete and mainly focused on chronological age.While a strict conservative strategy should be avoided,routine invasive strategy may reduce the occurrence of myocardial infarction and need for revascularization at follow-up with no established benefit in terms of mortality.Clinical characteristics associated with aging,such as comorbidities and frailty,further discriminate patient's risk beyond age.Evidence is scarce,but it suggests that these features may modulate the benefit of invasive strategy in this population.Ongoing trials should clarify the optimal management of ACS based on these parameters.

Elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes: a continuous tsunami

The progressive ageing of the population and the high incidence of acute coronary syndromes(ACS)in the elderly is leading to an important increase in the number of elderly patients admitted for ACS.[1]Nevertheless,the information about the optimal clinical management in this age group is scarce due to the exclusion of older patients from clinical trials.[2]Higher comorbidity and frailty are common in this clinical setting and they are associated with higher rates of complications and consumption of healthcare resources.[3]These are the main reasons for launching this special issue about management of ACS in the elderly,in which several experts in the field address some of the most important questions about how to deal with ACS in patients at older ages.

A Risk-Adjusted Retrospective Data Analysis between Younger and Elderly Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes—Long-Term Prognosis

Purpose: To compare the demographic data and outcomes of younger versus elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes. Methods: This was a retrospective data bank analysis study with 966 patients (268 in the younger group (less than 55 years) and 698 in the elderly group (more than 55 years)). Data were obtained about clinical characteristics, angiography, and medication used at hospital and coronary definitive treatment. The primary endpoint was all cause of in-hospital death and combined events. Comparison between groups was made by Anova and Q-square. Multivariative analysis was determined by logistic regression and was considered significative when p < 0.05. Long-term mortality and combined events were studied using Kaplan- Meyer curves with median follow-up of 11.21 months. Results: The median age in the younger group was 48 years versus 69 years in the elderly group. In the younger group 26% was ST-myocardial infarction versus 18% in the elderly group. About 7% of younger patients were submitted to coronary bypass surgery and 42% to percutaneous coronary angioplasty versus 12% and 25% in elderly group, respectively. Significant difference was observed between the younger versus elderly groups in deaths (1.5% × 7.5%, p = 0.004), combined events (14.9% × 26.3%, p = 0.02) and killip III/IV (3.7% × 8.3%, p = 0.04). Long-term mortality was 3.7% × 10.2%, p = 0.01). Conclusions: In patients with acute coronary syndromes age was an important predictor factor of mortality and complications. Significative differences in outcomes were observed between the two groups in-hospital and long-term follow-up.

In-hospital outcome of elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes treated with platelet glycoproteinⅡb/Ⅲa blockers

The safety of intravenous glycoprotein Ⅱb/Ⅲa inhibitors (GPI) in elderly patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not yet been established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of GPI in elderly patients with ACS. Methods Ninety consecutive patients ≥70 years of age admitted to a county hospital between 1999-2004 were included. All patients had typical ACS symptoms along with high-risk markers. Results There was no difference in the TIMI risk score between patients who received GPI (n=47) and those who did not (n=43). Patients who received GPI had a lower creatinine clearance(40 cc/min vs. 47cc/min, p= 0.04). Patients who received GPI had a lower incidence of death, reinfarction or major bleeding (19% vs.4%, p=0.03). There was no significant difference in major bleeding between the 2 groups. None of the patients in either group developed thrombocytopenia. Conclusion This retrospective small study suggests that the use of GPI in a selected group of elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome may be safe.

Antiplatelet therapy in very elderly and comorbid patients with acute coronary syndromes

With population ageing and rise of life expectancy,a progressively increasing proportion of patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome(ACS)are older adults,including those at extreme chronological age.Increasing amounts of data,including randomized clinical trials,have shown that the benefits of an early revascularization are maintained also at very old age,resulting in improved outcome after an acute coronary event.On the contrary,the optimal antiplatelet therapy(APT)remains unclear in these patients,because of both safety and efficacy concerns.Indeed,age-related multiple organ dysfunction and high prevalence of comorbidities may on the one hand reduce the therapeutic effects of administered drugs;on the other hand,it leads to increased vulnerability to drug toxicity and side effects.Therefore,management of APT is particularly challenging in elderly patients because of higher risk of both ischemic and bleeding events.The aim of the present paper is to review the current evidence,gaps in knowledge and ongoing research regarding APT in the setting of an ACS in elderly and very elderly patients,and in those with significant comorbidities including chronic kidney disease,diabetes mellitus and frailty.

Clinical and prognostic implications of delirium in elderly patients with non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes

Background Elderly patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes(NSTE-ACS)may present delirium but its clinical relevance is unknown.This study aimed at detennining the clinical associated factors,and prognostic implications of delirium in old-aged patients admitted for NSTE-ACS.Methods LONGEVO-SCA is a prospective multicenter registry including unselected patients with NSTE-ACS aged>80 years.Clinical variables and a complete geriatric evaluation were assessed during hospitalization.The association between delirium and 6-month mortality was assessed by a Cox regression model weighted for a propensity score including the potential confounding variables.We also analysed its association with 6-month bleeding and cognitive or functional decline.Results Among 527 patients included,thirty-seven(7%)patients presented delirium during the hospitalization.Delirium was more frequent in patients with dementia or depression and in those from nursing homes(27.0%vs.3.1%,24.3%vs.11.6%,and 11.1%V5.2.2%,respectively;all P<0.05).Delirium was significantly associated with in-hospital infections(27.0%vs.5.3%,P<0.001)and usage of diuretics(70.3%vs.49.8%,P=0.02).Patients with delirium had longer hospitalizations[median 8.5(5.5-14)vs.6.0(4.0-10)days,P=0.02]and higher incidence of 6-month bleeding and mortality(32.3%vs.10.0%and 24.3%vs.10.8%,respectively;both P<0.05)but similar cognitive or functional decline.Delirium was independently associated with 6-month mortality(HR=1.47,95%CI:1.02-2.13,P=0.04)and 6-month bleeding events(OR=2.87;95%CI:1.98-4」6,P<0.01).Conclusions In-hospital delirium in elderly patients with NSTE-ACS is associated with some preventable risk factors and it is an independent predictor of 6-month mortality.

Is dual therapy the correct strategy in frail elderly patients with atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome?

Atrial fibrillation(AF)is a very common arrhythmia in clinical practice.Its incidence and prevalence are age-related and are growing in the last years.Age is a risk factor also for coronary artery disease(CAD),and with the evolution of preventive care,the first event(acute coronary syndrome(ACS)or percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI))takes place at a later age.If elderly patients with AF and CAD undergo ACS or PCI,they have indication to assume triple therapy.Triple therapy(oral anticoagulation(OAC)plus dual antiplatelet therapy(DAPT))exposes patients to high bleeding risk.In the last 10 years,several clinical trials have tested dual therapy(OAC plus single antiplatelet therapy)in AF patients who undergo ACS or elective PCI.WOEST trial has tested warfarin+clopidogrel against triple therapy.PIONEER AF-PCI trial has tested low-dose rivaroxaban+P2Y12 inhibitor or very low-dose rivaroxaban+DAPT against standard triple therapy with warfarin.RE-DUAL PCI trial has tested two doses of dabigatran+P2Y12 inhibitor against standard triple therapy with Warfarin.AUGUSTUS trial has tested apixaban against warfarin both in dual therapy with P2Y12 inhibitor and in triple therapy with a P2Y12 inhibitor and aspirin.ENTRUST-AF PCI,last published study,has tested edoxaban+P2Y12 inhibitor against triple therapy.All these trials show dual therapy reduces significantly bleeding risk than triple therapy.In this paper,we analyze these clinical trials to understand if dual therapy results can be applied to elderly patients and what is probably the better approach in elderly AF patients undergo to ACS or PCI.

The early percutaneous coronary intervention in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome

It is challenging to undo early percutaneous intervention(PCI)in the elderly with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Fifteen patients older than 65 years with ACS within 24 hours of the event were admitted from April 4,2004 to December 12,2005.All the patients had early percutaneous coronary intervention and were followed up for 6-12 months by telephone or in the out-patient department.Nine of the 15 patients exhibited acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Six exhib-ited unstable angina(UA).All the patients had early PCI.The average door-to-balloon time was 78 minutes(40-110 minutes).The average PCI time was 99 minutes(68-120 minutes).Nineteen of 36 lesions in the fifteen angioplasty patients were treated and 20 stents were implanted in total.All the procedures were considered successful.Neither deaths nor recurrent angina occurred in the 6-12 months of follow-up.It was shown that early PCI might be an effective and safe method to treat eld-erly patients with ACS.

Effect of shexiangbaoxin pill combined with tirofiban hydrochloride on related factors in elderly patients with acute coronary symdrome

Objective:To study the effect of shexiangbaoxin pill combined with tirofiban hydrochloride on related factors in elderly patients with acute coronary symdrome.Methods:A total of 96 elderly patients with acute coronary symdrome in our hospital from January 2015 to May 2018 were enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided into the control group (n=48) and the treatment group (n=48) randomly. The control group were treated with tirofiban hydrochloride, the treatment group were treated with shexiangbaoxin pill combined with tirofiban hydrochloride, and both the two groups were treated for 2 weeks. The PT, TT, APTT and serum FIB, CK-MB, cTnT, vWF, ET-1, NO, sICAM-1, MMP-9, hs-CRP of the two groups before and after treatment were compared. Results: There were no significantly differences of the PT, TT, APTT and serum FIB, CK-MB, cTnT, vWF, ET-1, NO, sICAM-1, MMP-9, hs-CRP of the two groups before treatment. The PT, TT, APTT and serum NO of the two groups after treatment were significantly higher than before treatment, the serum FIB, vWF, ET, sICAM-1, MMP-9, hs-CRP of the two groups after treatment were significantly lower than before treatment, and that of the treatment group after treatment were significantly better than the control group. The serum CK-MB, cTnT of the two groups after treatment were significantly higher than before treatment, but that of the treatment group after treatment were significantly lower than the control group.Conclusion:Shexiangbaoxin pill combined with tirofiban hydrochloride can significantly improve the blood coagulation function and reduce the Myocardial injury, vascular endothelial damage, inflammation of the elderly patients with acute coronary symdrome, and it was worthy clinical application.

Frailty in patients admitted to hospital for acute coronary syndrome: when, how and why?

Frailty is an issue of paramount importance for cardiologists,because of the aging of patients admitted to hospital for acute coronary syndrome(ACS)and the straight relationship between aging and frailty.Several tools have been provided in this setting,in order to objectively assess frailty status,but important questions are still unsolved.There are conflicting data about a unique definition of frailty in subjects with cardiovascular diseases,the timing to perform a frailty evaluation in the context of an acute myocardial infarction,the mean to assess frailty in these patients and the usefulness of the information derived from the frailty assessment.Frailty results from the analysis of several items and a multidomain evaluation including laboratory values,clinical data and physical performance assessment is required for a comprehensive frailty assessment.However,regardless of the frailty tool,the prevalence of frailty in older ACS patients is high and it could add important information to the decision-making process about invasive strategy,the multivessel disease management,dual antiplatelet therapy and secondary prevention programs.The present overview tries to summarize the current knowledge about the definition and prevalence of frailty in older adults admitted to hospital for ACS,suggesting how frailty assessment may improve the management of older ACS patients.

Evaluation of coronary plaque and stent deployment by intravascular optical coherence tomography in elderly patients with unstable angina and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the assessment of plaque characteristics and drug eluting stent deployment quality in the elderly patients with unstable angina (UA) and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Methods OCT was used in elderly patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. Fifteen patients, 9 males and 6 females with mean age of 72.6±5.3 years (range 67-92 years) were enrolled in the study. Images were obtained before initial balloon dilatation and following stent deployment. The plaque characteristics before dilation, vessel dissection, tissue prolapse, stent apposition and strut distribution after stent implantation were evaluated. Results Fifteen lesions were selected from 32 angiographic lesions as study lesions for OCT imaging after diagnostic coronary angiography. There were 7 lesions in the left anterior descending artery, 5 lesions in the right coronary artery and 3 lesions in the left circumflex coronary artery. Among them, 12 (80.0%) were lipid-rich plaques, and 10 (66.7%) were vulnerable plaques with fibrous cap thickness 54.2±7.3 μm. Seven ruptured culprit plaques (46.7%) were found; 4 in UA patients and 3 in NSTEMI patients. Tissue prolapse was observed in 11 lesions (73.3%). Irregular stent strut distribution was detected in 8 lesions (53.3%). Vessel dissections were found in 5 lesions (33.3%). Incomplete stent apposition was observed in 3 stents (20%) with mean spacing between the struts and the vessel wall 172±96 mm (range 117-436 mm). Conclusions 1) It is safe and feasible to perform intravascular OCT to differentiate vulnerable coronary plaque and monitor stent deployment in elderly patients with UA and USTEMI. 2) Coronary plaques in elderly patients with UA and USTEMI could be divided into acute ruptured plaque, vulnerable plaque, lipid-rich plaque, and stable plaque. 3) Minor or critical plaque rupture is one of the mechanisms of UA in elderly patients. 4) Present drug eluting stent implantation is complicated with multiple tissue prolapses which are associated with irregular strut distributions. 5) The action and significance of tissue prolapse on acute vessel flow and in-stent thrombus and restenosis need to be further studied.

Non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome in the elderly

1 Introduction Societies are ageing at an accelerated pace.This scenario is a well-known challenge for health care systems,as chronic diseases,multiple comorbidities and dependency are all entities that often converge in the elderly.Besides,there is an issue regarding a reduction in the general incidence of acute coronary syndrome(ACS)together with a delayed in the age of presentation,which,in sum,lead to an increase in both incidence and prevalence of ACS with age,especially non-ST elevation myocardial infarction(NSTEMI).

Acute coronary syndromes: more or less antithrombotic medication for the elderly?

The treatment of elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains challenging. About two thirds of patients with ACS and four fifth of patients who died from ACS are older than 65 years.

Acute Coronary Syndromes in Elderly: Multicentric Study about 76 Cases in 3 Cardiology Departments in Dakar

Background: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the elderly are often a problem in their diagnosis and treatment, explaining a high mortality. Our study aimed to evaluate diagnostic, therapeutic and evolutive aspects in 3 cardiology departments of Dakar. Patients and Methods: We conducted a multicentric, retrospective and descriptive study during 2 years from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018. All patients older than 75 years admitted for acute coronary syndromes were included. The diagnosis was based on clinical signs with typical electrocardiographic changes and troponin assays. Results: Seventy and six patients (76) were enrolled. The prevalence of ACS in the elderly was 2.5% of all hospitalized patients and 21.8% of all ACS. The average age was 78.76 years. The sex ratio male/female was 1.71. The cardiovascular risk factors were essentially physical inactivity (97%) and hypertension (6.84%). Angina pain was the master symptom, but the pain was atypical in the most cases (52.63%). The second sign was dyspnea (46.05%). The average admission time for patients with STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) was 27 hours. Among these patients, 67% had a STEMI, 24% had NSTEMI (non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction) and 9% had an unstable angina. Four patients had a thrombolysis with an average time of 5.75 hours. The thrombolysis was not successful for all patients. Eighteen (18) patients had a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but only two had a primary PCI. DES (drug-eluting-stents) were the most used stents (55.5%). Eighty and nine (89%) of PCI were successful. Complications were essentially hemodynamic and rhythmic (26.6%). In-hospital mortality was 14.47%;n = 11. Conclusion: Our study revealed a delay in diagnosis and management of ACS in the elderly. Reperfusion therapy was less practiced in our context and the prognosis was poorer with a high mortality.

Applicability of the PRECISE-DAPT score in elderly patients with myocardial infarction

Background Elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes(ACS)are at higher risk both for ischemic and bleeding complications.Current guidelines recommend the PRECISE-DAPT score for bleeding risk stratification in this setting,but no study assessed its applicability in elderly patients.This study aimed to assess the performance of the PRECISE-DAPT score in a series of non-selected elderly patients with ACS from routine clinical practice.Methods The IFFANIAM registry included prospectively patients aged>75 years with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI).Main outcome measured was the incidence of relevant bleeding after discharge(bleeding leading to hospital readmission,need for transfusion,intervention,stop of antithrombotic drugs or death).Bleeding risk was classified:(A)according to PRECISE-DAPT values above or not the recommended cut-off point(>25);and(B)according to the quartiles of PRECISE-DAPT values observed in the IFFANIAM series(QI:<30;Q2:30-35;Q3:36-44;Q4:>45).Results A total of 208 patients were included.Mean age was 81.9±4.5 years.Most patients(92.6%)had a PRECISE-DAPT value>25.A total of 25 patients(12.0%)had bleeding events and 49 patients(23.6%)died.No significant differences regarding the incidence of bleeding were observed according to the recommended cutt of point>25.However,a progressive increase in the incidence of bleeding was observed across PRECISE-DAPT quartiles observed in this series(P=0.038).Conclusions The vast majority of elderly patients have PRECISE-DAPT values above the recommended cut-off point for bleeding risk.Using different cut-off points could be a more rational approach for predicting bleeding risk in these complex patients.

Frailty and acute coronary syndrome: does gender matter?

There are important sex-related differences in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Women are older,more frequently frail,and present more comorbidities than men.Atypical symptoms at presentation are also more common in female patients,they are leaded to a delayed diagnosis and treatment.Coronary angiography and subsequent revascularization are frequently underused in elderly women and they tend to receive less guidelines-recommended therapies.The prognosis in elderly frail women with ACS is poor,and it is with high mortality and readmissions rates.Bleeding is recurrent ischemic events in which it is more frequent in women than in men.Recovery time might be long,and a multidisciplinary approach is desirable to improve prognosis and quality of life.Further studies are needed in order to clarify the benefit of the different therapies in the group of frail women,and this is particularly true for revascularization,as scientific evidence in this group is very scarce.

Acute coronary syndromes： an old age problem

在老年的增加的人口将导致他们的更大的数字与急性冠的症候群(交流) 介绍。这在全球保健资源上有含意并且为基于证据的治疗要求更好的管理和选择。老比更年轻的交流是有更重要的治疗好处的一个高风险组。不过，在交流的相关不平等在乎的年龄被认出并且坚持。到某程度，在照顾的这差异被不正常、推迟的演讲的更高的频率在表示在老、不太诊断的心电图解释，加强在交流的延期诊断。在死亡风险在的评价下面由于为生理的脆弱，合作病态，认知 / 心理的缺陷和物理残疾的有限考虑老，由心病学专家和 randomised 的缺乏的更少的输入，指导管理在的控制试用数据老可以进一步使照顾的不平等惊讶。当这些不平等存在时，在那里仍然是一个实质的机会改进年龄相关交流结果。为特定的治疗和药政体的老病人的选择是未答复的。对 randomised 有成长需要，人口更代表性并且与合作病态先进年龄注册那些的控制试用数据。不利事件报导的缺乏，张贴冠的 angiography 例如肾的缺陷，在老进一步的限制风险利益决定。在老交流病人的照顾的实质的改进被要求并且应该被倡导。最终，这些改进是可能的导致更好的结果柱子交流。然而，在结果的改进不是无限的并且将由年龄相关的风险的非可修改的因素有限。

Bleeding risk stratification in an era of aggressive management of acute coronary syndromes

Major bleeding is currently one of the most common non-cardiac complications observed in the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS). Hemorrhagic complications occur with a frequency of 1% to 10% during treatment for ACS. In fact, bleeding events are the most common extrinsic complication associated with ACS therapy. The identification of clinical characteristics and particularities of the antithrombin therapy associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications would make it possible to adopt prevention strategies, especially among those exposed to greater risk. The international societies of cardiology renewed emphasis on bleeding risk stratification in order to decide strategy and therapy for patients with ACS. With this review, we performed an update about the ACS bleeding risk scores most frequently used in daily clinical practice.