The value of the Clinical SYNTAX Score in predicting long-term prognosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who have undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND

The Clinical SYNTAX Score (CSS) combines anatomical and clinical risk assessment.

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to evaluate CSS as a predictor of prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI).

METHODS

We evaluated 433 patients who were diagnosed with STEMI and underwent p-PCI. CSS was calculated by multiplying the anatomically derived SYNTAX score (Sx) by the modified age, creatinine, and ejection fraction score. Patients were divided into tertiles according to the CSS: CSS(Low)≤14 (n=141), 14<CSS(Mid)≤26 (n=144), and CSS(High)>26 (n=148). The primary endpoints were defined as all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular events over 15 months' follow-up.

RESULTS

Primary endpoints were achieved in 9.2% of patients with CSS≤14, 12.5% of those with 14<CSS≤26, and 28.4% of those with CSS>26 (P<0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the CSS>26 group had a significantly higher incidence of primary endpoints [P (log-rank)<0.001]. CSS>26 was identified as an independent predictor for all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular events (hazard ratio 3.58, 95% confidence interval 1.68-7.60, P=0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis found areas under the curve of 0.66, 0.59, and 0.64 for CSS, Sx score, and age, creatinine, and ejection fraction score (P<0.001, P=0.01, P<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

CSS may be better than the Sx score for predicting long-term prognosis in patients with STEMI undergoing p-PCI.