title: Prevalence, Clinical Features, and Prognosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction Attributable to Coronary Artery Embolism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery embolism (CE) is recognized as an important nonatherosclerotic cause of acute myocardial infarction. Its prevalence, clinical features, and prognosis remain insufficiently characterized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We screened 1776 consecutive patients who presented with de novo acute myocardial infarction between 2001 and 2013. CE was diagnosed based on criteria encompassing histological, angiographic, and other diagnostic imaging findings. The prevalence, clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, in-hospital outcomes, and long-term risk of CE recurrence or major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (cardiac death, fatal arrhythmia, or recurrent thromboembolism) were evaluated. The prevalence of CE was 2.9% (n=52), including 8 (15%) patients with multivessel CE. Atrial fibrillation was the most common cause (n=38, 73%). Only 39% of patients with CE were treated with vitamin K antagonists, and the median international normalized ratio was 1.42 (range, 0.95-1.80). Eighteen of the 30 CE patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation had a CHADS2 score of 0 or 1. When those patients were reevaluated using CHA2DS2-VASc, 61% were reassigned to a higher risk category. During a median follow-up of 49 months, CE and thromboembolism recurred in 5 atrial fibrillation patients. The 5-year rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events was 27.1%. In the propensity score-matched cohorts (n=45 each), Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significantly higher incidence of cardiac death in the CE group than in the non-CE group (hazard ratio, 9.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-76.5; P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent cause of CE. Patients with CE represent a high-risk subgroup of patients with acute myocardial infarction and require close follow-up.
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. tnoguchi@hsp.ncvc.go.jp.
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomotaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asaumi
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanaya
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagatsuka
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Hatsue
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishibashi-Ueda
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusano
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anzai
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.affiliation: From Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (T.S., S.K., T. Noguchi, Y.A., T.K., T. Nagai, K. Nakao, M.F., K.K., T.A., Y.G., H.O., S.Y.), Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease (T.T., K. Nagatsuka), Pathology (H.I.-U.), and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information (K. Nishimura, Y.M.), National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017131:Thrombectomy
keywords: acute myocardial infarction; atrial fibrillation; coronary artery; embolism