title: Current management and quality of life of patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in Greece: 12-Month results from antiplatelet therapy observational study II (APTOR II).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We describe the current management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) over 12 months in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective observational study in ACS patients undergoing PCI from September 2008 to April 2009, capturing practices over 12 months at 22 sites that enrolled 558 eligible patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 351 patients suffered from unstable angina or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (UA/ NSTEMI), while 207 patients suffered from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). For the UA/NSTEMI group, the median age was 64 years (interquartile range: 55-73), while for the STEMI group the median age was 56 years (interquartile range: 49-66). Stents were placed in 96.4% of patients: bare-metal stents alone were placed in 19% of patients, drug-eluting stents alone in 77.5% of patients, and both types of stent in 3.5% of patients. 74% of UA/NSTEMI patients and 87% of STEMI patients received the first antiplatelet loading dose within 1 day of the episode. 76% of UA/NSTEMI patients underwent PCI within 3 days following the initial ACS symptoms, while 67% of STEMI patients underwent PCI within 1 day of the ACS symptoms. Follow-up data were available for 540 (96.8%) patients. The percentages of patients on antiplatelet therapy and on other medications at the time of hospital discharge and at 12 months post-PCI were as follows: aspirin 98%, 97%; clopidogrel 99%, 96%; statins 81%, 79%; beta-blockers 73%, 72%; calcium blockers 11%, 11%; angiotensin II receptor blockers/angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors 64%, 62%; proton-pump inhibitors 39%, 35%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In ACS patients treated with PCI in Greece, dual antiplatelet treatment is maintained in a very high percentage through 1 year post-procedure, and drug-eluting stent use is also high.
authors.affiliation: Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre, Kallithea, Greece. gripav@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pavlides
authors.forename: Vangelis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drossinos
authors.forename: Chaido
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dafni
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Altsitzoglou
authors.forename: Aiantas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antoniadis
authors.forename: Antonios S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Manolis
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsioufis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goudevenos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kochiadakis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alexopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece; D007902:Length of Stay; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000379:methods; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors