title: Epidemiological characteristics and in-hospital management of acute coronary syndrome patients in Greece: results from the TARGET study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conduction of national surveys is needed to depict temporal trends in the risk profile, type of implemented treatment strategy and outcome of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The TARGET study is a multicenter, observational study that aimed to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics, management pattern and outcome of ACS patients in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 418 consecutive patients with ACS (44.7% STEMI, 34.2% NSTEMI, 21.1% unstable angina) from 17 centers (52.9% with catheterization facilities) were enrolled in the study (78.0% males, 63.9 ± 12.9 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 67.9% of the patients had hypertension, 27.5% were diabetics and 57.4% had dyslipidemia. Thrombolytic therapy (60.7% tenecteplase, 38.2% reteplase) was administered in 22.7% of the study population, while invasive management was performed in 40.2% of patients (27.0% PCI and 1.0% CABG) during the index hospitalization. In-hospital all-cause mortality was 1.9%, with 12.2% of patients experiencing adverse clinical events. Evidence-based medications were prescribed to the majority of enrolled patients during hospitalization and upon discharge (97% and 94% received aspirin, 93% and 84% clopidogrel, 87% and 86% beta-blockers, 96% and 93% statins, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of modifiable risk factors exhibits an increasing trend among ACS patients in Greece. The prescription pattern of evidence-based medications has improved considerably, while there remains considerable room for improvement in expanding the implementation of invasive management in realworld clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece. gkandrik@otenet.gr
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andrikopoulos
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tzeis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mantas
authors.forename: Christoforos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Olympios
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitsiou
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kartalis
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kranidis
authors.forename: Themistoklis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsaknakis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pras
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pipilis
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lampropoulos
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oikonomou
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gotsis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anastasiou-Nana
authors.forename: Filippos
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Triposkiadis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goudevenos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Theodorakis
authors.forename: Panos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vardas
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000368:Aged; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL