ESC Congress 2023: 4 key sessions scheduled for world’s largest gathering of cardiology professionals

2. Regularly taking aspirin benefits heart attack patients

Patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) are more likely to experience another one if they do not take daily aspirin.

This finding comes from a new analysis of more than 40,000 patients in Denmark who were age 40 or older at the time of their first MI. All were prescribed aspirin for the first year after MI, but some patients continued to take aspirin for many additional years.

Overall, adherence to regular daily aspirin use dropped from 90% after two years to 84% after four years, 82% after six years and 81% after eight years. Patients who were adherent faced a significantly lower risk of a recurrent MI, stroke or death at the two-, four-, six- and eight-year mark.

“We recommend that all patients who have had a heart attack stay adherent to their aspirin in accordance with guidelines until randomized controlled trials have proven otherwise, and clinical guidelines have been changed,” co-author Anna Meta Kristensen, a cardiologist with Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital in Denmark, said in a statement.

The full study, “Long-term aspirin adherence and risk of cardiovascular events and death after myocardial infarction: A nationwide cohort study,” will be presented Aug. 28.

3. Feeling safe from crime may lower risk of mortality, heart attack

Individuals who do not feel safe from crime at their own home may face greater odds of experiencing a premature death or significant cardiac event.

Researchers tracked data from nearly 36,000 adults in China who participated in a face-to-face interview about their neighborhood. All participants were between the ages of 35 and 70, and the average was 51 years old. Interview questions focused on a number of topics, including how safe it is to walk in each person’s neighborhood during the day and at night.

During a median follow-up period of 11.7 years, 5.7% of participants died. In addition, 8.5% of experienced a major cardiovascular disease (CVD) event, which the authors defined as death from cardiovascular causes, a nonfatal MI, a stroke or a diagnosis of heart failure.

Overall, higher “neighborhood environment scores” were associated with a 6% lower risk of all-cause mortality or a major CVD event, a 12% lower risk of death during follow-up and a 10% lower risk of death from CVD.

“This study highlights the importance of many aspects of our surroundings for heart health and longevity, including feeling safe, having shops, transport and parks close by, cleanliness, and feeling that our neighborhood is a good place to live and to raise children,” co-author Mengya Li, a specialist with the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in China, said in a statement.

Presentation of the full study, “Associations of built environment characteristic using NEWS questionnaires with major cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality,” is scheduled for Aug. 25.

4. Recognizing your own heart attack symptoms could save your life

When patients experience an MI, especially if it is their first, they may not recognize what is happening. When individuals do recognize their symptoms and understand what is happening, however, is lowers their odds of dying in the hospital.  

Researchers examined registry data from nearly 12,000 MI patients. It was a repeat event for 9.6% of those patients. Overall, 52.3% recognized the symptoms of an MI and were able to act. The most commonly recognized symptoms were chest pain, shortness of breath and cold sweats. Men, the team noted, were more likely to recognize their symptoms than women. Living with a spouse also appeared to help increase the likelihood that a patient would know what was happening.

Patients who recognized their symptoms were more likely to receive treatment to open their arteries and restore their blood flow within two hours. They also had a lower in-hospital mortality rate (1.5%) than patients who did not recognize their symptoms (6.7%).

“The findings indicate that education is needed for the general public and heart attack survivors on the symptoms that should trigger calling an ambulance,” co-author Kyehwan Kim, a researcher with Gyeongsang National University Hospital in South Korea, said in a statement. “In our study, patients who knew the symptoms of a heart attack were more likely to receive treatment quickly and subsequently survive.”

The full study, “Effect of symptoms recognition in patients with recurrent acute myocardial infarction: from KRAMI-RCC,” will be presented Aug. 25.

Many late-breaking clinical trials also scheduled for ESC Congress 2023

ESC Congress 2023 also is scheduled to include 30 late-breaking studies as part of nine “Hot Line” sessions. Click here for a full rundown of those studies, including context from multiple researchers.

Additional details about the four-day conference are available here. Stay tuned to Cardiovascular Business for additional coverage.