The impact of right ventricular involvement on the postdischarge long-term mortality in patients with acute inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the long-term impact of right ventricular myocardial involvement (RVI) after acute inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).


METHODS
A total of 1208 consecutive patients, who survived to discharge after hospitalization for acute inferior STEMI, were studied. Patients were divided into those with (n = 459) or without (n = 749) of RVI involvement, defined as ST-segment elevation > or =1 mm in V4R. Cardiac death by 3 years was the primary study end point.


RESULTS
By the end of follow-up, 207 (17.1%) patients had died. Patients with RVI were at similar risk for death at 3 years than those without (17.6% vs 16.8%, hazard ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 0.8-1.4, P = .79). By multivariate Cox analysis, several variables, but not RVI, were associated with the incidence of 3 years cardiac death.


CONCLUSIONS
Right ventricular myocardial involvement does not portend any increased risk for long-term mortality, in patients who survived to discharge after hospitalization for acute inferior STEMI.
Foussas
Stefanos G
SG
Department of Cardiology, Tzanio Hospital, Piraeus, Greece.
Zairis
Michael N
MN
Tsiaousis
George Z
GZ
Theodossis-Georgilas
Anastassios
A
Prekates
Athanasios A
AA
Kontos
Constantinos F
CF
Makrygiannis
Stamatis S
SS
Batika
Pelagia C
PC
Mytas
Demetrios Z
DZ
Adamopoulou
Evdokia N
EN
Fakiolas
Constantine N
CN
Argyrakis
Spyros K
SK
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000503:physiopathology*