Annual Trends in Total Ischemic Time and One-Year Fatalities: The Paradox of STEMI Network Performance Assessment

This study is aimed at assessing trends and relations between total ischemic time, the major quality measure of systemic delay, and case-fatality at the population or patient level in response to growing cardiovascular risk and a constant need to shorten the time to treatment in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Data from a prospective nationwide registry of STEMI patients admitted between 2006 and 2013 who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were analyzed. Total ischemic time was calculated as the time from the onset of symptoms to primary PCI and was determined as individual and annual. The primary end-point was one-year, all-cause case-fat…

Differences in Symptomatology and Clinical Course of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Women ≤45 Years of Age Compared to Older Women

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in young people are rare. The data regarding differences in symptoms in relation to age are scarce, which may have an influence on outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the clinical course of ACS between younger women (≤45 years old) and older women (63-64 years old). We compared 7481 women with ACS from the Polish Registry of ACS between 2007 and 2014 (1834 women aged ≤45 years and 5647 women aged 63-64 years). The predominant symptom of ACS in both groups was chest pain, with a higher incidence occurring in younger women (90.4% vs 88.5%, P = 0.025). Prehospital cardiac arrest occurred more often in younger women (2.1% vs 0.8%, P0…

Management and predictors of clinical events in 75 686 patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background:Although mortality of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) has decreased substantially over the last few decades in many countries MI remains a major threat to public health. Aims:To assess the number and outcomes of patients hospitalized for acute MI in Poland in 2018 as well as proportions of patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation and undergoing invasive cardiac procedures following discharge. Methods:We used public databases. We included all patients hospitalized for acute MI in Poland in 2018 and assessed event-free survival along with uptake of invasive cardiac procedures and cardiac rehabilitation and consultations with cardiologists. Results: A total of…

Impact of routine invasive strategy on outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction during 2005–2014: A report from the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS)

Background: Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) has become the most frequently encountered type of myocardial infarction. The patient clinical profile and management has evolved over the past decade. As there is still a scarcity of data on the latest trends in NSTEMI, changes herein were observed and assessed in the treatment and outcomes in Poland between 2005 and 2014. Methods: A total of 197,192 patients with NSTEMI who enrolled in the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) between 2005 and 2014 were analyzed. In-hospital and 12-month mortality were assessed. Results: Coronary angiography use increased from 35.8% in 2005–2007 to 90.7% in 2012–2014 (p < 0…

Innovative Managed Care May Be Related to Improved Prognosis for Acute Myocardial Infarction Survivors

Background: Mortality following discharge in myocardial infarction survivors remains high. Therefore, we compared outcomes in myocardial infarction survivors participating and not participating in a novel, nationwide managed care program for myocardial infarction survivors in Poland. Methods: We used public databases. We included all patients hospitalized due to acute myocardial infarction in Poland between October 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. We excluded from the analysis all patients aged &lt;18 years as well as those who died during hospitalization or within 10 days following discharge from hospital. All patients were prospectively followed. The primary end point was defined as death …

Mortality of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock treated by PCI is correlated to the infarct-related artery - Results from the PL-ACS Registry

Background: Mortality of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with cardiogenic shock (CS) on admission remains high despite invasive treatment. The aim of this analysis was to assess the relationship between the infarct-related artery (IRA) and the early and 12-month outcomes of patients with STEMI and CS treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Two thousand ninety patients with STEMI and CS registered in the prospective Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes from October 2003 to November 2009 were included. Results: The in-hospital mortality in the left main (LM), left anterior descending artery (LAD), circumflex artery (Cx), and right …

High progesterone levels are associated with family history of premature coronary artery disease in young healthy adult men.

Background & aimsThe offspring of patients with premature coronary artery disease (P-CAD) are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, compared with subjects without a family history (FH) of P-CAD. The increased risk for cardiovascular disease in subjects with FH of early-onset CAD results from unfavorable genetic variants as well as social, behavioral and environmental factors, which are more prevalent in this group. Previous studies have shown that specific sex hormone levels may be associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to compare wide range of biochemical marker levels including i.e. the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating ho…

One-Year Outcome of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitor Therapy in Patients with Myocardial Infarction-Related Cardiogenic Shock

Background: We aimed to evaluate the effect of intravenous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors (GPIs) on in-hospital survival and mortality during and at the 1-year follow-up in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS), who were included in the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS). Methods: From 2003 to 2019, 466,566 MI patients were included in the PL-ACS registry. A total of 10,193 patients with CS received PCI on admission. Among them, GPIs were used in 3934 patients. Results: The patients treated with GPIs were younger, had lower systolic blood pressure on admission, required i…

Observed and relative survival and 5-year outcomes of patients discharged after acute myocardial infarction: the nationwide AMI-PL database.

Background: Long‑term follow‑up data from a large Polish acute myocardial infarction (AMI‑PL) database are still unavailable. Aims: This study aimed to assess the 5‑year outcomes of patients discharged after hospitalization for AMI in Poland in relation to age. Methods: The studywas based on the nationwide AMI‑PL registry including data on the management and long‑term outcomes of all patients admitted to hospitals with AMI (codes I21–I22 according to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision [ICD ‑10]), derived from the database of the obligatory healthcare payer in Poland.The current analysis included all patients after AMI who were discharged …

Metformin and heart injury after acute coronary syndrome in diabetic patients with no previous history of cardiovascular disease: data from the PLACS registry

Decline in the number of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention procedures in patients with acute myocardial infarction in Poland during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Nonroutine Use of Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump in Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Myocardial Infarction With Successful and Unsuccessful Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Abstract Objectives The authors sought to compare outcomes of patients with myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock (CS) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support according to final epicardial flow in the infarct-related artery. Background A routine use of IABP is contraindicated in patients with myocardial infarction and CS. There are no data regarding the subpopulation of patients who may benefit from such support besides patients with mechanical complications of myocardial infarction. Methods Prospective nationwide registry data of patients with myocardial infarction and CS treated with PCI between 2003 and 2014 wer…

A new approach to ticagrelor-based de-escalation of antiplatelet therapy after acute coronary syndrome. A rationale for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, investigator-initiated, multicenter clinical study

The risk of ischemic events gradually decreases after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), reaching a stable level after 1 month, while the risk of bleeding remains steady during the whole period of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT). Several de-escalation strategies of antiplatelet treatment aiming to enhance safety of DAPT without depriving it of its efficacy have been evaluated so far. We hypothesized that reduction of the ticagrelor maintenance dose 1 month after ACS and its continuation until 12 months after ACS may improve adherence to antiplatelet treatment due to better tolerability compared with the standard dose of ticagrelor. Moreover, improved safety of treatment and preserved anti-is…

Impact of chronic total occlusion artery on 12-month mortality in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (from the PL-ACS Registry).

Abstract Background Three-vessel coronary artery disease is associated with high mortality in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). The purpose of this study was to assess the impact on 12‐month mortality of chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the non-infarct-related artery (non-IRA), as assessed by coronary angiography during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for NSTEMI, of patients with 3-vessel disease. Methods The study included all of the NSTEMI patients with 3-vessel disease by coronary angiogram who were treated by PCI and who were registered in the prospective Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) from July 2007 to November 2009. T…

PoLA/CFPiP/PCS/PSLD/PSD/PSH guidelines on diagnosis and therapy of lipid disorders in Poland 2021

Pomimo 30 lat (simwastatyna została dopuszczona w 1991 przez FDA do stosowania klinicznego [1]) starań ekspertów, towarzystw i organizacji pacjenckich zaburzenia lipidowe wciąż stanowią wyzwanie diagnostyczne, ale przede wszystkim terapeutyczne. Dotyczy to zarówno właściwej oceny ryzyka pacjentów, włączenia odpowiedniego leczenia, problemów z jego adherencją, ale także problemów z tak ważnym leczeniem niefarmakologicznym – dietą, redukcją masy ciała czy regularnym wysiłkiem fizycznym [2]. Nie można także umniejszać znaczenia inercji terapeutycznej, czy to polegającej na niewłaściwie dobranej terapii (najczęściej brakiem intensywnego leczenia statynami czy jeszcze rzadziej leczenia skojarzon…

Myocardial Infarction in Centenarians. Data from The Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes

Background: There are no data regarding the mortality rate, risks and benefits of particular reperfusion methods and pharmacological treatment complications in patients aged over 100 years with acute coronary syndromes. We sought to assess the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients older than 100 years and to determine prognostic factors for this group. Methods: Among the 716,566 patients recorded between 2003 and 2018 in the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes, 104 patients aged &ge

Gender-related disparities in the treatment and outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: results from the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) in the years 2012–2014

Introduction: Gender-related differences in the treatment of patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) have been reported in many previous studies despite the fact that an equal approach is recommended in all current guidelines. The aim of the study was to investigate whether gender-related discrepancies in the management of NSTEMI patients have changed. Material and methods: Between 2012 and 2014 a total of 66,667 patients (38.3% of whom were women) with the final diagnosis of NSTEMI were included into the retrospective analysis of the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS). Differences in clinical profile, treatment, and outcomes were analysed. Results: W…

Global perspective of familial hypercholesterolaemia: a cross-sectional study from the EAS Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC)

Background The European Atherosclerosis Society Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC) global registry provides a platform for the global surveillance of familial hypercholesterolaemia through harmonisation and pooling of multinational data. In this study, we aimed to characterise the adult population with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and described how it is detected and managed globally. Methods Using FHSC global registry data, we did a cross-sectional assessment of adults (aged 18 years or older) with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of probable or definite heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia at the time they were entered into the registries. Dat…

Gender-related differences in men and women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and incomplete infarct-related artery flow restoration: a multicenter national registry

Introduction: Little is known about gender-related differences in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and incomplete infarct-related artery (IRA) reperfusion after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Aim: To evaluate gender-related differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis in patients with STEMI and incomplete IRA reperfusion after pPCI. Material and methods: From 42,752 STEMI patients hospitalized between 2009 and 2011 in Poland we analyzed a group of 984 (36%) females and 1,746 (64%) males with less than Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 3 flow following pPCI. Results: Women were older than men (72.0 ±11.3 vs. 64.0 ±11.7 years; p …

Effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the number of hospitalizations for myocardial infarction: regional differences. Population analysis of 7 milion people

Which patients at risk of cardiovascular disease might benefit the most from inclisiran? – The expert opinion of the Polish experts. The compromise between EBM and possibilities in healthcare

It is the statement of the Polish Experts on the group of patients that might benefit the most from inclisiran. We indicated the fastest way to have inclisiran available for the polish patients, with the necessary changes of the existing drug program for PCSK9 inhibitors (B-101), explaining why it is the optimal way, and why, taking into account available EBM data (the ORION program), inclisiran should be added to this program. We also present some perspective on the future necessary changes in the availability of the innovative therapies such us PCSK9 targeted therapy, what, taking into account the effectiveness of LDL-C goal achievement in Poland for very high CVD risk patients (only 17%)…

Management of bleeding in patients hospitalized in the intensive cardiac care unit: expert opinion of the Association of Intensive Cardiac Care and Section of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy of the Polish Cardiac Society in cooperation with specialists in other fields of medicine.

ABSTRACT Nowadays, the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU) provides care for patients with acute coronary syndrome, acute and exacerbated chronic heart failure, cardiogenic shock, sudden cardiac arrest, electrical storm, as well as with indications for urgent cardiac surgical treatment. Most of these patients require the use of 1, 2, or frequently even 3 drugs that act on the blood coagulation pathway. While antithrombotic drugs prevent thromboembolic events, they are associated with a higher risk of bleeding. In this population of patients, bleeding may often have a worse impact on prognosis than the primary disease. In this expert opinion of the Association of Intensive Cardiac Care, we pr…

Oxidative Stress Markers in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background and Objectives: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) depends on the primary impairment of sarcomeres, but it can also be associated with secondary alterations in the heart related to oxidative stress. The present study aimed to examine oxidative-antioxidant disturbances in patients with HCM compared with control individuals. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 52 consecutive HCM patients and 97 controls without HCM. The groups were matched for age, body mass index, and sex. Peripheral blood was collected from all patients to determine the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), lipid hydroperoxide (LPH), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The oxidative stress index (OSI…

Comprehensive coordinated care after myocardial infarction (KOS-Zawał) : a patient's perspective

Antiplatelets in acute coronary syndrome in Poland – from guidelines to clinical practice

Acute coronary syndrome is a factor for poor prognosis and recurrent cardiovascular events. Adequate antiplatelet therapy is crucial in patients with the acute coronary syndrome for risk reduction. Such treatment is well described in four documents issued by the European Society of Cardiology, which precisely illustrate the use of antiplatelets in the settings of ST-elevated and non-ST elevated myocardial infarction. Despite its unquestioned role in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome, recent real-world-data from Polish registries reveal poor adherence to the guidelines-recommended antiplatelet treatment in Poland. Thus, we present here a comprehensive review of the use of antiplatelet…

Factors Affecting Early Mortality and 1-Year Outcomes in Young Women With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Aged Less Than or Equal to 45 Years.

Given that up to 2% of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) are young women, the purpose of this study was to evaluate factors affecting outcomes in young women with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) aged less than or equal to 45 years. We evaluated 796 women with STEMI aged less than or equal to 45 years between 2007 and 2014, and mortality was 4.0%. Death occurred more often in women with prehospital sudden cardiac arrest, and severe symptoms of heart failure; less commonly, the women were subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with a higher rate of incomplete revascularization. Beta blockers (BB) and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors were frequ…

Aspiration thrombectomy for patients with acute coronary syndromes and culprit lesions located in coronary bypass grafts. Data from the PL-ACS registry

Subarachnoid Haemorrhage-Incidence of Hospitalization, Management and Case Fatality Rate-In the Silesian Province, Poland, in the Years 2009-2019.

Little is known about the epidemiology of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in Poland, and until now no such research has been conducted for Silesia, which is the second largest province with circa 4.5 million inhabitants. Therefore, the current study was done to assess the data on SAH in the Silesian Province, Poland. The study was based on the data obtained from the administrative databases of the only public health insurer in Poland (the National Health Fund, NHF) from 2009 to 2019. The SAH cases were selected based on primary diagnosis coded in ICD-10 as I60. The total number of SAH cases was 2014 (41.8% men, 58.2% women). The number of SAH hospitalizations decreased from 199 in 2009 to 16…

Epidemiological analysis of hospitalisations due to recurrent stroke in the Silesian Province, Poland, between 2009 and 2015

Background and aim. There is a lack of recent epidemiological studies on recurrent stroke (RS) in Poland. The aim of this study was to analyse all hospitalisations related to RS in Silesia – an industrial region covering 12% of the Polish population. Material and methods. We carried out statistical analysis of data contained in stroke questionnaires transferred to the Polish National Health Fund by hospitals in Silesia, Poland, between 2009 and 2015. Results. In the analysed period, the number of RS hospitalisations in Silesia was 18,063 (22.2% of all acute strokes). The percentage of RS significantly decreased during the period under consideration (p < 0.001). The same observation concerne…

Long-term outcomes in men and women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and incomplete reperfusion after a primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background The failure of reperfusion therapy in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is more frequent than considered previously. Aim To evaluate sex-related differences in long-term outcomes in patients with STEMI and incomplete infarct-related artery reperfusion after a primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients and methods Of consecutive 42 752 patients with STEMI hospitalized between 2009 and 2011 in Poland, we analyzed a group of 766 (35%) women and 1453 (65%) men with less than thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3 following a primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Results In the 2-year follow-up, the mortality rate among…

Family History of Premature Coronary Artery Disease (P-CAD)—A Non-Modifiable Risk Factor? Dietary Patterns of Young Healthy Offspring of P-CAD Patients: A Case-Control Study (MAGNETIC Project)

Dietary habits of healthy offspring with a positive family history of premature coronary artery disease (P-CAD) have not been studied so far. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to identify dietary patterns in a sample of young healthy adults with (cases) and without (controls) family history of P-CAD, and (2) to study the association between dietary patterns and family history of P-CAD. The data came from the MAGNETIC case-control study. The participants were healthy adults aged 18&ndash

Survival benefit from recent changes in management of men and women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary interventions

Background: Nowadays, the majority of patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI) are treated with primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). In recent years, there have been ongoing improvements in PCI techniques, devices and concomitant pharmacotherapy. However, reports on further mortality reduction among PCI-treated STEMI patients remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to compare changes in management and mortality in PCI-treated STEMI patients between 2005 and 2011 in a real-life setting. Methods: Data on 79,522 PCI-treated patients with STEMI from Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) admitted to Polish hospitals between 2005 an…

Assessment of quality of care of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Aims:The 2017 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction recommended assessing quality of care to establish measurable quality indicators in order to ensure that every ST-elevation myocardial infarction patient receives the best possible care. We investigated the quality indicators of healthcare services in Poland provided to ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients.Methods and results:The Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes is a nationwide, multicentre, prospective study of acute coronary syndrome patients in Poland. For the purpose of assessing quality indicators, we included 8279 patients from the Polish Registry of Acute…

Is neural network better than logistic regression in death prediction in patients after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction?

Background: There is a need to develop patient classification methods to adjust post-discharge care, improving survival after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Aims: The study aimed to determine whether a neural network (NN) is better than logistic regression (LR) in mortality prediction in STEMI patients. Material and methods: The study included patients from the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS). Patients with the first anterior STEMI treated with the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery between 2009 and 2015 and discharged alive were included in the study. Patients were randomly divided into th…

In-Hospital and One-Year Outcomes of Patients after Early and Late Resuscitated Cardiac Arrest Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction&mdash;Data from a Nationwide Database

The prognostic role of early (less than 48 h) resuscitated cardiac arrest (ErCA) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is still controversial. The present study aimed to analyse the short-term and one-year outcomes of patients after ErCA and late resuscitated cardiac arrest (LrCA) compared to patients without cardiac arrest (CA) complicating AMI. Data from the prospective nationwide Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) were used to assess patients with resuscitated cardiac arrest (rCA) after AMI. Baseline clinical characteristics and the predictors of all-cause death were assessed. The all-cause mortality rate, complications, performed procedures, and re-hospitalisa…

Smoking ban in public places and myocardial infarction hospitalizations in high cardiovascular risk European country – insights from the Polish nationwide AMI-PL database

Introduction Previous studies demonstrated a possible positive effect of a smoking ban in public places on cardiovascular outcomes. However, little is known about the influence of such regulations in Poland, a country with a high cardiovascular risk. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the association of hospitalization rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Poland before and after the introduction of the smoking ban in public places in November 2010. Patients and methods The Nationwide Acute Myocardial Infarction Database (AMI‑PL) was searched for the cases of AMI that occurred between 2009 and 2014. The analysis considered sex, age (20-64 years vs 65 years or older), and the place of …

Multivessel Intervention in Myocardial Infarction with Cardiogenic Shock: CULPRIT-SHOCK Trial Outcomes in the PL-ACS Registry

Background: The aim of the study was a comparison of culprit-lesion-only (CL-PCI) with the multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (MV-PCI) in terms of 30-day and 12-month mortality in a national registry. Methods: Patients from the PL-ACS registry with MI and CS were analyzed. Patients meeting the criteria of the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial were divided into two groups: CL-PCI and MV-PCI groups. Results: Of the 3265 patients in the PL-ACS registry with MI complicated by CS, the criteria of the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial were met by 2084 patients (63.8%). The CL-PCI was performed in 883 patients, and MV-PCI was performed in 1045 patients. After the propensity score matching analysis, 617 well-match…

Outcomes of a routine invasive strategy in elderly patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction from 2005 to 2014: results from the PL-ACS registry.

Background Elderly patients (≥75 years old) with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) represent a large subgroup of all cases. They are rarely included in randomized trials because of comorbidities and concerns about complications. Furthermore, invasive treatments are used less frequently in this patient group. The aim of this study was to analyze trends in invasive procedures and outcomes in elderly patients with NSTEMI from 2005 to 2014. Patients and methods We analyzed 68 978 elderly patients with NSTEMI enrolled in the prospective, nationwide Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes from 2005 to 2014. Results Elderly patients accounted for 34.9% of all patients wit…

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on acute heart failure admissions and mortality: a multicentre study (COV-HF-SIRIO 6 study)

Abstract Aims The coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has changed the landscape of medical care delivery worldwide. We aimed to assess the influence of COVID‐19 pandemic on hospital admissions and in‐hospital mortality rate in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) in a retrospective, multicentre study. Methods and results From 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020, a total of 101 433 patients were hospitalized in 24 Cardiology Departments in Poland. The number of patients admitted due to AHF decreased by 23.4% from 9853 in 2019 to 7546 in 2020 (P < 0.001). We noted a significant reduction of self‐referrals in the times of COVID‐19 pandemic accounting 27.8% (P < 0.001), with increase…

Repetitive use of LEvosimendan in Ambulatory Heart Failure patients (LEIA-HF) - The rationale and study design

Abstract Purpose Clinical practice forces the necessity to conduct a clinical trial concerning the group of outpatients with chronically advanced heart failure in III or IV NYHA functional class, frequently requiring hospitalizations due to HF exacerbation, and often left without any additional therapeutic option. The current trial aims to determine the efficacy and safety of repeated levosimendan infusions in the group of severe outpatients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Material and methods LEIA-HF (LEvosimendan In Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients) is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 4 clinical trial to determine whether the repetitive use of le…