Personal reflections on fibrinolytic therapy of acute myocardial infarction.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
E Braunwald
Publications and source records attributed to E Braunwald.
An integrated clinical approach to predicting the benefit of tirofiban in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes. Application of the TIMI Risk Score for UA/NSTEMI in PRISM-PLUS.
AIMS: We evaluated the TIMI Risk Score for Unstable Angina and Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction for predicting clinical outcomes and the efficacy of tirofiban in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Developed in TIMI 11B, the risk score is calculated as the sum of seven presenting characteristics (age > or =65 years, > or =3 cardiac risk factors, documented coronary disease, recent severe angina, ST deviation > or =0.5 mm, elevated cardiac markers, prior aspirin use). The risk score was validated in the PRISM-PLUS database (n=1915) and tested for interaction with the efficacy of tirofiban+heparin vs heparin alone. The risk score revealed an increasing gradient of risk for death, myocardial infarction or recurrent ischaemia at 14 days ranging from 7.7-30.5% (P<0.001). Dichotomized at the median, patients with a score > or =4 derived a greater relative risk reduction with tirofiban (P((Interaction))=0.025). Among patients with normal creatine kinase myocardial bands, the risk score showed a 3.5-fold gradient of risk (P<0.001) and identified a population that derived significant benefit from tirofiban (RR 0.73, P=0.027). CONCLUSION: The TIMI Risk Score is a simple clinical tool for risk assessment that may aid in the early identification of patients who should be considered for treatment with potent antiplatelet therapy.
Acute Disease↗
Effects of pravastatin on mortality in patients with and without coronary heart disease across a broad range of cholesterol levels. The Prospective Pravastatin Pooling project.
AIMS: To assess the effects of pravastatin on all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality and to compare the effects for patients with prior coronary heart disease with those for patients without, using pooled data from the Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID) study, the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events (CARE) study, and the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS). METHODS AND RESULTS: 13 173 patients with coronary heart disease and 6595 men with elevated cholesterol and no prior coronary disease received pravastatin, 40 mg daily, or placebo for an average of 5 to 6 years. Data were analysed according to a pre-specified, published protocol. For all three trials combined, the mortality among patients assigned pravastatin was significantly lower, at 7.9%, than the 9.8% among those assigned placebo, a relative risk reduction of 20% (95% confidence interval (CI) 12-27%, P<0.0001). Active treatment was associated with a reduction in coronary mortality (24%, 95% CI 14-33%). Larger reductions in absolute risk were estimated in those with prior coronary heart disease than in those without. CONCLUSION: Treatment with pravastatin over 5 years reduces all-cause mortality and coronary mortality in patients with and those without a history of coronary heart disease. The size of the benefit was related principally to the baseline risk.
Aged↗
Enoxaparin is superior to unfractionated heparin for preventing clinical events at 1-year follow-up of TIMI 11B and ESSENCE.
BACKGROUND: Enoxaparin treatment is associated with a 20% reduction in clinical events during the acute phase of management of patients with unstable angina/non ST elevation myocardial infarction. Interest in the use of enoxaparin would be enhanced further if evidence of a durable treatment benefit over the long term could be provided. METHODS: Event rates at 1 year for the composite end-point of death/non-fatal myocardial infarction/urgent revascularization and its individual components were ascertained from the TIMI 11B and ESSENCE databases. RESULTS: There was no evidence of heterogeneity between TIMI 11B and ESSENCE in tests for interactions between treatment and trial. A significant treatment benefit of enoxaparin on the rate of death/non-fatal myocardial infarction/urgent revascularization was observed at 1 year (hazard ratio 0.88;P=0.008). The event rate was 25.8% in the unfractionated heparin group and 23.3% in the enoxaparin group, an absolute difference of 2.5%. A progressively greater treatment benefit of enoxaparin was observed as the level of patient risk at baseline increased. Treatment effects for the individual end-point elements ranged from 9-14%, favouring enoxaparin. CONCLUSIONS: The stable absolute difference in event rates of 2.5% seen at 8 days and again at 1 year favouring enoxaparin may be due to more effective control of the thrombotic process surrounding the index event. Once the pharmacological effect of enoxaparin had dissipated there was no rebound increase in events. Thus, those patients who had received enoxaparin acutely were protected from experiencing a deterioration of the original therapeutic benefit. These findings regarding enoxaparin add to the data to be considered by clinicians when selecting an antithrombin for the acute phase of management of unstable angina/non-ST elevation myocardial infarction.
Angina, Unstable↗
Determinants of improvement in epicardial flow and myocardial perfusion for ST elevation myocardial infarction; insights from TIMI 14 and InTIME-II.
BACKGROUND: When evaluating new reperfusion regimens for ST elevation MI, it is important to adjust for factors that influence the likelihood of achieving normal epicardial flow and complete ST resolution. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 610 patients from TIMI 14 contributed to the angiographic analyses. The electrocardiographic analyses were based on 544 patients from TIMI 14 and 763 patients from InTIME-II. For each hour from onset of symptoms to initiation of pharmacological reperfusion, the odds of achieving TIMI 3 flow at 90 min or complete ST resolution at 60-90 min decreased significantly (P=0.03). Anterior location of infarction was associated with a reduction in the odds of achieving TIMI 3 flow or complete ST resolution. The use of abciximab as part of the reperfusion regimen significantly increased the odds of TIMI 3 flow (P=0.01) and ST resolution (P<0.001). The fibrinolytic administered (alteplase, reteplase, lanoteplase) did not influence the odds of TIMI 3 flow or ST resolution after adjusting for time to treatment, infarct location, and use of abciximab. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of time from symptoms on epicardial flow and STRES reinforces the need for increased efforts to reduce treatment delays in patients with ST elevation MI. The significant benefits of abciximab with respect to facilitation of epicardial and myocardial reperfusion are evident even after adjusting for time to treatment and infarct location. To adjust for determinants of success of reperfusion regimens, phase II trials evaluating new drug combinations should consider using a randomization scheme that stratifies patients based on infarct location and time from symptoms.
Abciximab↗
Will diabetes save the platelet blockers?
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Diabetes Complications↗
Genetic variation in glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa) as a determinant of the responses to an oral GPIIb/IIIa antagonist in patients with unstable coronary syndromes.
This study examined the influence of the Pl(A) polymorphism of glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa) in determining the response to an oral GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, orbofiban, in patients with unstable coronary syndromes. Genotyping for the Pl(A) polymorphism was performed in 1014 patients recruited into the OPUS-TIMI-16 (orbofiban in patients with unstable coronary syndromes-thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 16) trial, in which patients were randomized to low- or high-dose orbofiban or placebo for 1 year. The primary end point (n = 165) was a composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), recurrent ischemia requiring rehospitalization, urgent revascularization, and stroke. Overall, orbofiban failed to reduce ischemic events when compared with placebo, but increased the rate of bleeding. In the whole population, Pl(A2) carriers had a significant increase in MI (n = 33) during follow up, with a relative risk (RR) of 2.71 (95% CI, 1.37 to 5.38; P =.004). There was a significant interaction between treatment (placebo and orbofiban) and the Pl(A) polymorphism for bleeding (n = 187; P =.05). Thus, while orbofiban increased bleeding in noncarriers (RR = 1.87, 1.29 to 2.71; P <.001) in a dose-dependent fashion, it did not increase bleeding events in Pl(A2) carriers (RR = 0.87, 0.46 to 1.64). There was no interaction between treatment (placebo and orbofiban) and the Pl(A) polymorphism for the primary end point (P =.10). However, in the patients receiving orbifiban there was a higher risk of a primary event (RR = 1.55, 1.03 to 2.34; P =.04) and MI (RR 4.27, 1.82 to 10.03; P <.001) in Pl(A2) carriers compared with noncarriers. In contrast, there was no evidence that Pl(A2) influenced the rate of recurrent events in placebo-treated patients. In patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome, the Pl(A) polymorphism of GPIIb/IIIa may explain some of the variance in the response to an oral GPIIb/IIIa antagonist.
Aged↗
Ability of minor elevations of troponins I and T to predict benefit from an early invasive strategy in patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction: results from a randomized trial.
CONTEXT: Cardiac troponins I (cTnI) and T (cTnT) are useful for assessing prognosis in patients with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI). However, the use of cardiac troponins for predicting benefit of an invasive vs conservative strategy in this patient population is not clear. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively test whether an early invasive strategy provides greater benefit than a conservative strategy in acute coronary syndrome patients with elevated baseline troponin levels. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized trial conducted from December 1997 to June 2000. SETTING: One hundred sixty-nine community and tertiary care hospitals in 9 countries. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2220 patients with acute coronary syndrome were enrolled. Baseline troponin level data were available for analysis in 1821, and 1780 completed the 6-month follow-up. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive (1) an early invasive strategy of coronary angiography between 4 and 48 hours after randomization and revascularization when feasible based on coronary anatomy (n = 1114) or (2) a conservative strategy of medical treatment and, if stable, predischarge exercise tolerance testing (n = 1106). Conservative strategy patients underwent coronary angiography and revascularization only if they manifested recurrent ischemia at rest or on provocative testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Composite end point of death, MI, or rehospitalization for acute coronary syndrome at 6 months. RESULTS: Patients with a cTnI level of 0.1 ng/mL or more (n = 1087) experienced a significant reduction in the primary end point with the invasive vs conservative strategy (15.3% vs 25.0%; odds ratio [OR], 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.73). Patients with cTnI levels of less than 0.1 ng/mL had no detectable benefit from early invasive management (16.0% vs 12.4%; OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.89-2.05; P<.001 for interaction). The benefit of invasive vs conservative management through 30 days was evident even among patients with low-level (0.1-0.4 ng/mL) cTnI elevation (4.4% vs 16.5%; OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.08-0.69). Directionally similar results were observed with cTnT. CONCLUSION: In patients with clinically documented acute coronary syndrome who are treated with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, even small elevations in cTnI and cTnT identify high-risk patients who derive a large clinical benefit from an early invasive strategy.
Adult↗
A simple risk index for rapid initial triage of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: an InTIME II substudy.
BACKGROUND: Rapid, effective triage is integral to emergency cardiac care of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Available models for predicting mortality in STEMI include up to 45 variables, but have consistently shown advanced age, increased heart rate, and decreased blood pressure to be among the strongest predictors. METHODS: On the basis of observed risk relations among 13,253 patients with STEMI from the InTIME II trial, we developed and assessed a simple risk index using age, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) for predicting mortality over 30 days: (heart rate x [age/10](2))/SBP. FINDINGS: The risk index was a strong (c statistic=0.78) and independent predictor of mortality risk (p<0.0001). When the risk index was categorised into quintiles for convenient clinical use, it revealed a more than 20-fold gradient of increasing mortality from 0.8 to 17.4%, p<0.0001. The risk index was also a robust predictor of very early events, including death by 24 h (c statistic=0.81). External validation in patients with STEMI from the TIMI 9 trials (n=3659) showed both a high discriminatory capacity (c statistic=0.79), and excellent concordance between the observed 30-day mortality in each of the five risk groups and the predictions based on InTIME II (goodness-of-fit, p=0.7). INTERPRETATION: A simple risk index based on characteristics easily assessed by any paramedical or clinical personnel captures most of the information from more complex tools, and is likely to be useful in the rapid triage of patients with STEMI outside hospital or on first arrival in the hospital.
Age Factors↗
Acute coronary syndrome without ST elevation: implementation of new guidelines.
Unstable angina and non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction have in recent years been recognised as frequent and important clinical manifestations of coronary-artery disease. The European (ESC) and American (ACC/AHA) professional societies last year released guidelines on diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment of these disorders. These guidelines summarise similarly the current evidence and translate them to clinical practice. Most important changes relate to the inclusion of troponins into the risk stratification algorithm, the addition of low-molecular-weight heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists to medical treatment, and the role of invasive management for improved long-term outcome. Guidelines are constantly challenged by newly emerging study results. Recently, early invasive management and clopidogrel have been found to exert further benefit to this high-risk group of patients. Accordingly, the societies on both sides of the Atlantic will work together closely to update and implement these guidelines.
Abciximab↗
Seasonal variation of myocardial infarct size.
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Aged↗
ST segment resolution as a tool for assessing the efficacy of reperfusion therapy.
Rapid, simple and inexpensive measures are needed to assess the efficacy of reperfusion therapy both in clinical practice and in clinical trials testing novel reperfusion regimens. In the last decade, several observations have led to a favorable reappraisal of the utility of ST segment monitoring as a simple means of assessing reperfusion in patients receiving fibrinolytic therapy for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction, and ST resolution is being used increasingly in clinical practice and in clinical research. This review focuses on four interrelated roles for ST segment monitoring: the assessment of epicardial reperfusion and the identification of candidates for rescue percutaneous coronary intervention; the evaluation of microvascular and tissue-level reperfusion; the determination of prognosis early after fibrinolytic therapy; and the use of ST segment resolution to compare different reperfusion regimens.
Algorithms↗
Early coronary intervention following pharmacologic therapy for acute myocardial infarction (the combined TIMI 10B-TIMI 14 experience).
Earlier studies have suggested that immediate percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) following thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with an increase in adverse events and that routine PCI in this setting has offered no advantage over a conservative strategy. To reassess this issue in a more recent era, we evaluated 1,938 patients from the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 10B and 14 trials of AMI. Patients in TIMI 10B were randomized to receive tissue plasminogen activator or TNK tissue plasminogen activator, whereas patients in TIMI 14B trial were randomized to receive thrombolytic therapy with or without abciximab. All patients underwent angiography 90 minutes after receiving pharmacologic therapy. Patients who underwent PCI were classified as having undergone a rescue procedure (TIMI 0 or 1 flow at 90 minutes), an adjunctive procedure (TIMI 2 or 3 flow at 90 minutes), or a delayed procedure (performed >150 minutes after symptom onset, median of 2.75 days). Among patients with TIMI 0 or 1 flow, there was a trend for lower 30-day mortality among patients who underwent rescue PCI than among those who did not (6% vs 17%, p = 0.01, adjusted p = 0.28). Patients who underwent adjunctive PCI had similar 30-day mortality and/or reinfarction as those who underwent delayed PCI. In a multivariate model both had lower 30-day mortality and/or reinfarction than patients with "successful thrombolysis" (i.e., TIMI 3 flow at 90 minutes) who did not undergo revascularization (p = 0.02). Thus, early PCI following AMI is associated with excellent outcomes. Randomized trials of an early invasive strategy following thrombolysis are warranted.
Abciximab↗
The prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
BACKGROUND: Brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide is a neurohormone synthesized predominantly in ventricular myocardium. Although the circulating level of this neurohormone has been shown to provide independent prognostic information in patients with transmural myocardial infarction, few data are available for patients with acute coronary syndromes in the absence of ST-segment elevation. METHODS: We measured B-type natriuretic peptide in plasma specimens obtained a mean (+/-SD) of 40+/-20 hours after the onset of ischemic symptoms in 2525 patients from the Orbofiban in Patients with Unstable Coronary Syndromes-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 16 study. RESULTS: The base-line level of B-type natriuretic peptide was correlated with the risk of death, heart failure, and myocardial infarction at 30 days and 10 months. The unadjusted rate of death increased in a stepwise fashion among patients in increasing quartiles of base-line B-type natriuretic peptide levels (P< 0.001). This association remained significant in subgroups of patients who had myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (P=0.02), patients who had myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation (P<0.001), and patients who had unstable angina (P<0.001). After adjustment for independent predictors of the long-term risk of death, the odds ratios for death at 10 months in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of B-type natriuretic peptide were 3.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 13.3), 4.0 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.2 to 13.7), and 5.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.7 to 19.7). The level of B-type natriuretic peptide was also associated with the risk of new or recurrent myocardial infarction (P=0.01) and new or worsening heart failure (P<0.001) at 10 months. CONCLUSIONS: A single measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide, obtained in the first few days after the onset of ischemic symptoms, provides powerful information for use in risk stratification across the spectrum of acute coronary syndromes. This finding suggests that cardiac neurohormonal activation may be a unifying feature among patients at high risk for death after acute coronary syndromes.
Acute Disease↗
Application of the TIMI risk score for ST-elevation MI in the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction 3.
CONTEXT: The Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a simple integer score for bedside risk assessment of patients with STEMI. Developed and validated in multiple clinical trials of fibrinolysis, the risk score has not been validated in a community-based population. OBJECTIVE: To validate the TIMI risk score in a population of STEMI patients reflective of contemporary practice. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The risk score was evaluated among 84 029 patients with STEMI from the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction 3 (NRMI 3), which collected data on consecutive patients with myocardial infarction (MI) from 1529 US hospitals between April 1998 and June 2000. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ability of the TIMI risk score to correctly predict risk of death in terms of model discrimination (c statistic) and calibration (agreement of predicted and observed death rates). RESULTS: Patients in NRMI 3 tended to be older, to be more often female, and to have a history of coronary disease more often than those in the derivation set. Forty-eight percent received reperfusion therapy. The TIMI risk score revealed a significant graded increase in mortality with rising score (range, 1.1%-30.0%; P<.001 for trend). The risk score showed strong prognostic capacity overall (c = 0.74 vs 0.78 in derivation set) and among patients receiving acute reperfusion therapy (c = 0.79). Predictive behavior of the risk score was similar between fibrinolytic-treated patients (n = 23 960; c = 0.79) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention patients (n = 15 348; c = 0.80). In contrast, among patients not receiving reperfusion therapy, the risk score underestimated death rates and offered lower discriminatory capacity (c = 0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Sufficiently simple to be practical at the bedside and effective for risk assessment across a spectrum of patients, the TIMI risk score may be useful in triage and treatment of patients with STEMI who are treated with reperfusion therapy.
Aged↗
The platelet Pl(A2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) D allele polymorphisms and the risk of recurrent events after acute myocardial infarction.
Chromosome 17q21-23 harbors genes for platelet glycoprotein IIIa and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which are polymorphic for alleles Pl(A2) and ACE "D." These alleles have been independently and often associated with ischemic coronary artery disease (CAD). We sought to determine if the Pl(A2) and ACE D polymorphisms were risk factors for recurrent coronary events. In the Cholesterol And Recurrent Events (CARE) trial, 4,159 men and women with documented myocardial infarction (MI) were randomized to receive either placebo or pravastatin, and were followed prospectively for 5 years. Pl(A) and ACE genotypes were determined in 767 patients: 385 cases who had experienced a recurrent primary event (death due to coronary disease or nonfatal MI), and 382 age- and gender-matched controls. In patients receiving placebo, the Pl(A1,A2) genotype conferred a relative risk (RR) of 1.38 (confidence intervals [CI] 1.04 to 1.83; p = 0.028; adjusted RR = 1.32, CI = 0.99 to 1.76; p = 0.058]) for the primary end point. Compared with the placebo group, pravastatin reduced the excess RR of coronary disease death and recurrent MI in the Pl(A1,A2) patient population by 31% (p = 0.06). The ACE D allele appeared to have modestly additive effects on the Pl(A1,A2) risk. Among the Pl(A1,A2) patients, pravastatin had little effect on the risk of recurrent events with the ACE II genotype, but reduced the adjusted RR from 1.42 (placebo) to 0.58 for ACE ID patients, and from 1.56 (placebo) to 0.83 for ACE DD. The Pl(A1,A2) genotype was associated with an excess of recurrent coronary events in patients after MI who did not receive pravastatin, and the ACE D allele added to this risk. These data suggest that it would be important to perform a larger study to address the potential role of these genotypes in therapeutic decision making.
Aged↗
Early noninvasive detection of failed epicardial reperfusion after fibrinolytic therapy.
Available noninvasive techniques for identifying patients with failed epicardial reperfusion after fibrinolytic therapy are limited by poor accuracy. It is unknown whether combining multiple noninvasive predictors would improve diagnostic accuracy and facilitate identification of candidates for rescue percutaneous coronary intervention. In the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 14 trial, we evaluated the ability of ST-segment resolution (n = 606), chest pain resolution (n = 859), and the ratio of 60-minute/baseline serum myoglobin (n = 308) to identify patients with angiographic evidence of failed reperfusion 90 minutes after fibrinolysis. Three criteria were prospectively defined: <50% ST resolution at 90 minutes, presence of chest pain at the time of angiography, and myoglobin ratio <4. Patients who met any individual criterion were more likely to have less than TIMI 3 flow and an occluded infarct-related artery (TIMI 0/1 flow) than those who did not meet the criterion (p <0.005 for each). When the 3 criteria were used together (n = 169), patients who satisfied 0 (n = 29), 1 (n = 68), 2 (n = 51), or 3 (n = 21) of the criteria had a 17%, 24%, 35%, and 76% probability of failing to achieve TIMI 3 flow (p <0.0001 for trend), a 0%, 6%, 18%, and 57% probability of an occluded infarct-related artery (p <0.0001 for trend), and a 0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and 9.5% rate of 30-day mortality (p = 0.05 for trend), respectively. Use of the criteria in combination increased positive predictive values without decreasing negative predictive values. In conclusion, ST-segment resolution, chest pain resolution, and early washout of serum myoglobin can be used in combination to aid in the early noninvasive identification of candidates for rescue percutaneous coronary intervention.
Aged↗
Comparison of early invasive and conservative strategies in patients with unstable coronary syndromes treated with the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor tirofiban.
BACKGROUND: There is continued debate as to whether a routine, early invasive strategy is superior to a conservative strategy for the management of unstable angina and myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation. METHODS: We enrolled 2220 patients with unstable angina and myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation who had electrocardiographic evidence of changes in the ST segment or T wave, elevated levels of cardiac markers, a history of coronary artery disease, or all three findings. All patients were treated with aspirin, heparin, and the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor tirofiban. They were randomly assigned to an early invasive strategy, which included routine catheterization within 4 to 48 hours and revascularization as appropriate, or to a more conservative (selectively invasive) strategy, in which catheterization was performed only if the patient had objective evidence of recurrent ischemia or an abnormal stress test. The primary end point was a composite of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome at six months. RESULTS: At six months, the rate of the primary end point was 15.9 percent with use of the early invasive strategy and 19.4 percent with use of the conservative strategy (odds ratio, 0.78; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.62 to 0.97; P=0.025). The rate of death or nonfatal myocardial infarction at six months was similarly reduced (7.3 percent vs. 9.5 percent; odds ratio, 0.74; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.54 to 1.00; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with unstable angina and myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation who were treated with the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor tirofiban, the use of an early invasive strategy significantly reduced the incidence of major cardiac events. These data support a policy involving broader use of the early inhibition of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa in combination with an early invasive strategy in such patients.
Aged↗