This was an observational study recruitng young STEMI patients. Majority were male, obese, tobacco users, and with positive FHx-PMCAD. Anterior STEMI was the commonest presentation with Proximal LAD involvement and SVCAD as the commonest pattern. Overall mortality was found to be 3.6%.
Studies show a prevalence of 1.2% of CAD in young patients however, prevalence in young SAs may vary from 5% to 10%. 6 SAs with IHD are more likely to have male gender, complex coronary disease, and anterior infarction.17 The landmark study by Salim Yusuf conducted in 52 countries showed that risk factors responsible for PMCAD are smoking, HTN, T2DM and obesity. 18 The reason for higher obesity is the use of high cholesterol diet and lack of physical activity in addition to lack of facilites, sedentary lifestyle and lack of awareness about risk factors leading to a lack of health-seeking behavior at an early age.19,20 Tobacco use, whether smoked or chewed is also quite prevalent in Asia with mean age of smoking initiation a little later than 20 years. 21 It significantly increases the risk of all-cause mortality in young adults and cessation can reduce risk.22 Given the high burden of tobacco products in an LMIC, cost-effective and evidence-based interventions are critical to avoid future risk.23 FHx-PMCAD as a risk factor can be attributed to genetic causes such as dysfunctional and lower levels of HDL-C, and higher Lipoprotein (a) concentrations.18, 24 Further research regarding the inheritance patterns and ways to intervene is still required. Traditional risk factors like T2DM and HTN are less prevalent in young patients however, the INTERHEART study showed a higher prevalence of T2DM, increased waist-hip ratio, and increased ApoB100/ApoA-I ratio in young SAs comopared to other ethnicities. 18 This demands immediate screening and preventive measures at a much younger ages. High LDL-C/HDL-C ratio i.e. >2.7 has been associated with higher rates of target lesion revascularization (TLR), stent thrombosis (ST), and MACE in ACS patients receiving DES. Moreover, LDL-C levels as high as >150 mg/dl on presentation with ACS also predict microvascular injury. 13In one study, as high as 50% of the patients presenting with ACS had a high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio >2.7. 14 In our study, nearly 80% of the patients had elevated LDL-C/HDL-C ratios.
The proximal segments of the coronary arteries form a bridging zone between elastic and muscular artery types such that these segments are more likely to develop foam cell lesions and lipid core plaque.25 Foam cell lesions are already present in childhood and adolescent ages.26 Also, a hemodynamic basis might be responsible for the development of atherosclerotic plaques in proximal segments.27 At young ages, SVCAD with LAD involvement is the commonest pattern that can be explained partly by dynamic compression of the septal perforators with disturbed blood flow in the adjacent LAD segment favoring atherosclerosis. 27 Followed by LAD, the disease appears to cluster in the RCA and lastly the LCx.28 This same pattern of disease was also determined by a few studies done in SAs in addition to the fact that SAs were more likely to have complex (Type B or C) disease. 29
International studies have shown a favorable prognosis in young patients with mortality rates as low as 1.6% at 30 days rising to 2.7% per year.In contrast, young SAs have higher in-hospital mortality, as high as 2.8% as do SA immigrants. 30 Although our study showed a 30 day mortality in only 3.6% (n=6), it was still higher compared to international data.This might be explained by higher risk factor clustering at young ages, lack of protective factors like exercise and healthy diet and lack of awareness about risk factors and symptoms for CAD in addition to a deficiency of appropriate health facilities.31
CS and Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) are known poor predictors after STEMI. Studies have quoted that nearly 5% of young STEMI patients present with cardiogenic shock and 1.7% and 0.3% of patients might present with VT and VF. 30, 32 Risk factors such as elder age, ischemia time, anterior infarction or shock index can predict the occurrence of CS.33 However, all these studies have included patients from all age groups and might not be a true representation of the young subgroup. Our study found that patients with initial SBP <110 mmHg and signs and symptoms of heart failure had borderline elevated risk for the composite outcome. Low admission SBP is known to be a predictor of short term mortality as well as CS. Initial SBP between 130 to 140 mmHg correlate with the lowest event rates.34 Also, signs and symptoms of heart failure predict the development of CS and other adverse outcomes and initial aggressive therapy might be preventive. 35 Patients with Severe LV dysfunction have increased risk of mortality. SCD-HeFT and MADIT-II trials showed mortality benefit of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in patients with an LVEF <35% around 90-days after revascularization for primary prevention.36, 37 Elder age, increased TTH, proximal occlusion and multivessel stenosis are predictors of reduced LVEF in ACS patients and may also dictate mortality. TTH >5 hours is known to predict LV dysfunction regardless of the coronary vessel involved likely due to impaired microcirculation that causes extensive myocardial ischemia, injury and infarction along with a higher risk of cardiac complications.38 Our study found the anterior location of infarction, TTH >4 hours, or heart failure symptoms requiring diuresis to be independently associated to EF<35% after adjustment of other factors.
Low-risk patients may be safely discharged early which is cost-effective and adds to the benefits of PPCI. 39 Not much data is available focusing on predictors of delayed discharge in young patients, modification of which might be cost-effective. Patients with HTN are more likely to develop CS and hence may be at risk of increased LOS.34 This can be due to greater endothelial injury in addition to the fact that HTN usually co-exists with other CV risk factors.40 Similarly, patients with a TTH >4 hours or who develop CS/CPR/VT/VF maybe more likely to stay up to 5 days or more due to more myocardial damage.38
Strength and Limitations
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that has addressed the outcomes of young Pakistani patients with STEMI with a significant sample size. However, there are several limitations. This was a single-center observational study and the results may not be generalizable with some residual confounders including dietary patterns, medications and exercise status, effecting the clinical outcomes. Patients who died before receiving revascularization could not be included. Significant data on lipid profiles was missing which is why it was not included in the regression analysis. Also, this study lacks the long-term outcomes of this population due to a limited follow-up. Due to the fewer number, this study was limited in delineating predictors for mortality. In terms of secondary outcomes, this study was able to identify the relationship with some variables like TTH, anterior infarction, SBP<110 mmHg, and heart failure symptoms, however, larger studies with adequate sample size and power are further required to testify and expand on these impressions.