Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this monocentric retrospective observational study is to investigate whether a loading dose of ticagrelor treatment before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure improves the early reperfusion and short-term heart function in East-Asian ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 326 STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI in Jiading Central Hospital. One hundred and forty patients received a loading dose of ticagrelor before entering the catheter laboratory. One hundred and eighty-six patients received a loading dose of ticagrelor in the catheter laboratory before the initiation of PCI. Reperfusion endpoints included the presence of self-patency in the culprit artery, the ST-segment elevation resolution over 50% within 24 h after PCI, and the presence of no-reflow in the culprit artery. Clinical endpoints included all-cause mortality, new-onset heart failure, reinfarction and stent thrombosis within 28 days after PCI. Secondary clinical endpoints included mechanical complications and bleeding events. RESULTS: In comparison with the in-lab treatment group, the preprocedural treatment group had a significant higher proportion of self-patency in the culprit artery (25.71% vs 16.67%, P=0.045) and early ST-segment elevation resolution (48.57% vs 27.96%, P<0.001). Preprocedural ticagrelor treatment was associated with a significant reduction of new-onset heart failure (9.29% vs 18.82%, p=0.016). Stent thrombosis risks were numerically reduced in the preprocedural treatment group (0.71% vs 1.61%, P=0.466). The rates of major cardiovascular adverse events, reinfarctions and mortality did not differ between the two groups. Bleeding events in the preprocedural treatment group was notn significantly higher than the in-lab treatment group (4.39% vs 1.39%, P=0.142). CONCLUSION: Preprocedural administration of a loading dose of ticagrelor was associated with improved early reperfusion and reduced short-term heart failure in East-Asian STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI, but care should be taken for excess bleeding events.