Incidence and predictors of heart failure in a cohort of MINOCA patients
Authors: Ryabenko K , Fedele D , Foa A , Bergamaschi L , Paolisso P , Bodega F , Bertolini D , Di Iuorio O , Amicone S , Galie N , Pizzi C , Casella G , Lovato L , Angeli F , Rinaldi A 
Published: November 2023

Background/Introduction

A higher risk of death and major cardiovascular events, including Heart Failure (HF), after a Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries (MINOCA) has been described. In particular, HF has a negative impact not only on survival but also on quality of life. In this context, strategies to identify subjects with a greater risk of developing HF are needed. Purpose. Assess incidence and predictors of HF developing subsequently a MINOCA.

Methods

461 subjects with suspected MINOCA from 2016 to 2021 were assessed. Acute myocarditis, Takotsubo syndromes, cardiomyopathies and patients with incomplete data were excluded. The final cohort consisted of 188 patients with a confirmed MINOCA diagnosis. After a mean follow-up of 36±14.8 months, 20 patients (10.6%) had hospital readmission for HF. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and instrumental data were collected and analyzed.

Results

None among demographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors or comorbidities showed correlation with HF occurrences. Paroxysmal or permanent atrial fibrillation was more frequent among patients who developed HF (p .005), such as ST-elevation at onset (p .001). Higher glycemia at admission correlated with HF (p .012). In this regard, hyperglycemia could act as a direct toxic agent or as an indirect marker of a greater stress response. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) at peak, but not first cTnI measurement, was significantly higher in patients who developed HF (p&lt;.001), confirming the prognostic value of troponin, even in this context. Concerning echocardiography, HF incidence was higher in patients with any wall motion abnormalities (p .037), lower ejection fraction (EF; p .046), especially if EF≤40% (p&lt;.001), higher atrial maximum diameter (p .005), end-diastolic diameter (p. 001) or normalized end-diastolic volume (p&lt;.001). HF occurred more often (p&lt;.001) in patients with a transmural pattern of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), which resulted as an independent risk factor for HF developing in multivariate analysis (HR 15.32, 95% CI 5.13-45.75, p&lt;.001). 32 patients (17%) were affected by non-obstructive coronary arteries stenosis (i.e., &lt;50%). This finding, but not re-infarction, was also associated with HF development (p .004). Only 2 out of the 68 patients dismissed with DAPT developed HF (p .010). In our study beta-blockers, RAS inhibitors and statins at dismission had not reduced the risk of HF. Nevertheless, the low sample size forbids inferring conclusions about the therapy.

Conclusion

In our cohort of patients with MINOCA, several clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic characteristics correlated with a higher frequency of HF occurrences. Moreover, a broader extent of cardiac damage, as testified by cTnI, wall motion abnormalities, reduced EF and transmural LGE, could predict HF development. Further studies to establish adequate follow-up programs and therapy to prevent HF progression in these patients are needed.Figure 1