Coronary intervention in patients>or=75 years old with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: in-hospital and 6-month clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in elderly patients presents specific clinical characteristics. The study on percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in elderly patients (>or=75 years) with STEMI, however, has less been performed.

METHODS

In the present study, 522 consecutive STEMI patients undergoing PCI within 12 hours from symptom onset were investigated, and clinical characteristics and in-hospital and 6-month outcomes of 66 elderly patients (>or=75 years, group A) were compared to those of 456 younger patients (<75 years, group B).

RESULTS

Compared to younger patients, elderly ones had more females (42.4% vs. 17.8%, P<0.005), a history of cerebral vascular events (7.6% vs. 0.9%, P<0.05), higher serum creatinine level ((96.48+/-31.65) mmol/L vs. (84.87+/-19.81) mmol/L, P<0.005) and fewer smokers (28.8% vs. 45.4%, P<0.05). The elderly ones had worse Killip class (Killip I class: 69.7% vs. 85.7%, P<0.05), less drug-eluting stent implantation and lower rates of TIMI flow 3 following PCI (33.3% vs. 47.1%, and 84.8% vs. 94.7%, P<0.05 respectively). Additionally, both in-hospital mortality and myocardial infarction rate were found to be higher in elderly patients (16.7% vs. 1.5%, and 7.6% vs. 2.6%, P<0.05 respectively), which were also observed until 6-month follow-up (9.1% vs. 0, and 6.1% vs. 0, P<0.05 respectively). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, serum creatinine level, history of hypertension, left anterior descending coronary artery as infarct-related artery and Killip class were independent predictors of 6-month overall death in elderly patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical characteristics of elderly patients with STEMI after PCI are different from those of younger patients. Although PCI in this population is with a low rate of PCI failure, it is still associated with a worse outcome.