Patterns and Prognostic Impact of Postdischarge Ischemic, Bleeding, and Heart Failure Events After Myocardial Infarction

Although the in-hospital prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has considerably improved to date, ischemic, bleeding, and heart failure (HF) events after discharge remain clinical challenges. However, the pattern of such events is not fully understood in contemporary clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the timing and prognostic impact of cardiovascular and bleeding events after AMI. This multicenter, retrospective registry included 2,059 patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were grouped according to their first events after discharge, consisting of ischemic events (recurrent AMI or ischemic stroke), major bleeding, and HF hospitalization, whereas those without such events were classified as the no cardiovascular event group. All-cause mortality after discharge and the ischemic, bleeding, and HF events were evaluated. Ischemic events, major bleedings, and HF hospitalization as their first clinical outcome measures after discharge occurred in 99 (4.8%), 57 (2.8%), and 75 (3.6%) patients, respectively, during the median follow-up period of 538 days. Postdischarge mortality was highest in the major bleeding group, followed by the ischemic events, HF hospitalization, and no cardiovascular event groups. HF hospitalization occurred earlier than major bleeding and ischemic events after discharge. The mortality impact after the first events was greater in the major bleeding rather than ischemic events and HF hospitalization. In conclusion, patterns and prognostic impact of postdischarge outcomes differed significantly among ischemic, bleeding, and HF events, suggesting that timely and tailored follow-up may be needed after AMI.