Prescribing Trends of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors and Mortality among Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: Insights from the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Registry.

BACKGROUND

Despite guideline recommendations, suboptimal prescription rates of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have been observed in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the temporal trends, variations, and mortality outcomes among acute coronary syndrome patients prescribed ACEIs/ARBs in the multi-ethnic population of Malaysia.

METHODOLOGY: This retrospective study utilized data from the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease-Acute Coronary Syndrome registry, encompassing consecutive patient records from 2008 to 2017 (N = 60,854). Ten-year temporal trends of on-discharge ACEIs/ARBs prescription were examined. Demographics, clinical characteristics and 1-year all-cause mortality outcomes were compared between patients prescribed and not prescribed ACEIs/ARBs.

RESULTS

The 10-year prescription rate of on-discharge ACEIs/ARBs was 52.8% (n = 32,140), with a significant decline over the years [linear trend test, P = 0.008; SD = 0.03; SE = 0.001; 95% CI = 0.55-0.64]. Patients aged ≥65 years (aOR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.73-0.86) were less likely to be prescribed ACEIs/ARBs than those aged <65 years. In addition, patients with comorbid diabetes mellitus (DM) (aOR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.79-0.92) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (aOR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.30-0.40) were significantly less likely to receive ACEIs/ARBs. IPW-adjusted survival analysis revealed a 38% lower 1-year all-cause mortality rate in patients prescribed on-discharge ACEIs/ARBs (HR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.56-0.69; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Acute coronary syndrome patients with concomitant DM and CKD were less likely to receive on-discharge ACEIs/ARBs in Malaysia. Suboptimal prescription rates of ACEIs/ARBs persisted over the 10-year period, despite improved 1-year survival in ACS patients prescribed ACEIs/ARBs.