Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Is a Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death in the Early Period After Hospital Discharge in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: The incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) after discharge in Japanese acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains unknown. Methods and Results: The study population included 1,429 AMI patients (199 with LVEF <= 35% and 1,230 with LVEF >35%) admitted to the Hirosaki University Hospital, treated with primary PCI within 12 h after onset, and survived to discharge. LVEF was evaluated in all patients before discharge, and the patients were followed up for a mean of 2.6 +/- 0.8 years. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed LVEF <= 35% was associated with all-cause death and SCD. The incidence of SCD was 2.6% at 1 year and 3.1% at 3 years in patients with LVEF <= 35%, whereas it was 0.1% at 1 year and 0.3% at 3 years in patients with LVEF >35%. Sixty-seven percent of SCDs in patients with LVEF <= 35% occurred within 4 months after discharge, and the events became less frequent after this period. A Cox proportional hazard model indicated LVEF <= 35% as an independent predictor for all-cause death and SCD. Conclusions: The incidence of SCD was relatively low in Japanese AMI patients treated with primary PCI, even in patients with LVEF <= 35% upon discharge. Careful management of patients with reduced LVEF is required to prevent SCD, especially in the early phase after discharge.