5-year prognostic value of no-reflow phenomenon after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of no-reflow phenomenon on 5-year mortality among patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This impact was also assessed in relation to infarct size.


BACKGROUND
The impact of no-reflow on long-term mortality in patients with STEMI has been insufficiently studied.


METHODS
This study included 1,406 patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI. No-reflow was diagnosed using angiographic criteria. Infarct size was measured with single-photon emission computed tomography imaging 7 to 14 days after the acute event. The primary outcome was 5-year mortality.


RESULTS
The no-reflow phenomenon was diagnosed in 410 patients (29%). Infarct size was 15.0% (6.0% to 29.0%) of the left ventricle in the no-reflow group versus 8.0% (2.0% to 21.0%) of the left ventricle in the reflow group (p < 0.001). There were 132 deaths during follow-up. Of them, 59 deaths occurred among patients with no-reflow and 73 deaths occurred among patients with reflow (Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year mortality 18.2% and 9.5%, respectively; odds ratio: 2.02; 95% confidence interval: 1.44 to 2.82; p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for infarct size among other variables identified the no-reflow phenomenon as an independent correlate of 5-year mortality (hazard ratio: 1.66; 95% confidence interval: 1.17 to 2.36; p = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI, no-reflow phenomenon is a strong predictor of 5-year mortality. No-reflow phenomenon after PCI provides prognostic information that is independent of and beyond that provided by infarct size.
Ndrepepa
Gjin
G
Deutsches Herzzentrum, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany. ndrepepa@dhm.mhn.de
Tiroch
Klaus
K
Fusaro
Massimiliano
M
Keta
Dritan
D
Seyfarth
Melchior
M
Byrne
Robert A
RA
Pache
Jürgen
J
Alger
Patricia
P
Mehilli
Julinda
J
Schömig
Albert
A
Kastrati
Adnan
A
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D054318:No-Reflow Phenomenon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016896:Treatment Outcome