Introdução: As doenças cardiovasculares constituem a principal causa de morbimortalidade nacional e apresentam-se principalmente na forma de doença arterial coronariana, cujas principais manifestações se caracterizam pelas síndromes coronarianas agudas: angina instável e infarto agudo do miocárdio. Nesse sentido, realizou-se um estudo com o objetivo de caracterizar o perfil bio-psico-social dos pacientes após síndromes coronarianas agudas, identificando os fatores que possam interferir na adesão ao tratamento no que diz respeito ao não comparecimento às consultas, interrupção do tratamento e controle de pressão arterial, além de associar o perfil bio-psico-social dos pacientes com fatores relacionados à adesão. Casuística e Método: Estudo descritivo e exploratório, realizado em um hospital universitário da cidade de São Paulo, analisou 85 pacientes com diagnóstico de síndromes coronarianas agudas. Após receberem alta, os pacientes foram entrevistados em ambulatórios para obtenção de dados estruturais, socioeconômicos, hábitos de vida, conhecimento da doença e do tratamento. Com o intuito de avaliar o bem estar psicológico dos pacientes, o questionário de saúde geral de Goldberg foi aplicado. Os dados foram processados no sistema SPSS v.7.5. O nível de significância adotado foi 0,05. Resultados: Foram estudados 85 pacientes, 56% homens, 69% com companheiro, 59±9,6 anos, 85% pertencentes à etnia branca, 52% com ensino fundamental, 54% com renda entre 2 e 5 salários, 79% com antecedentes de hipertensão arterial, 62% com dislipidemia e 40% para infarto agudo do miocárdio. Cerca de 35% relataram o não comparecimento às consultas e a interrupção do tratamento. Em relação à atitude frente à necessidade de tomar medicamentos, 63% dos pacientes relatou esquecimento esporádico ou constante dos remédios. A análise de regressão logística indicou a associação independente para as seguintes variáveis (OD Odds ratio, IC intervalo de confiança a 95%): 1- não comparecimento às consultas, etnia branca (OR=0,27 IC 95% 0,08-0,86) e hábitos alimentares inadequados (OR=1,07 IC 1,00-1,45); 2- interrupção do tratamento associado com faltas às consultas (OR=6,09 IC 1,81-20,49), consumo de bebida alcoólica (OR=5,05 IC 1,61-15,76) e automedicação (OR=7,89 IC 2,39-26,05); 3- pressão arterial não controlada (=140/90 mmHg) com acompanhamento no ambulatório de coronária (OR=2,78, IC 1,01-7,65). A maior freqüência de alteração no quarto percentil nos domínios do questionário de saúde geral de Goldberg foram associados às seguintes variáveis: 1- estresse associado à automedicação (OR=6,09 IC 1,32-14,5) e HDLc =40mg/dL (OR=1,04 IC 1,00-1,08); 2- auto-eficácia com acompanhamento no ambulatório de coronária (OR=2,78 IC 1,19-12,23), automedicação (OR=4,62 IC 1,46-14,95) e HDLc =40mg/dL (OR=1,04 IC 1,19-12,23); 3- distúrbios do sono associados com referência de ansiedade (OR=5,61 IC 1,65-19,09), e colesterol total = 200 mg/Dl (OR=4,42 IC 1,36- 14,38); 4- distúrbios psicossomáticos associados ao sexo feminino (OR=6,57 IC 1,96-22,0) e relato de ansiedade (OR=4,06 IC 1,24-13,3); 5- severidade da ausência de saúde mental associado ao sexo feminino (OR=3,96 IC 1,26- 12,43) e automedicação (OR=3,39 IC 95% 1,07-10,70). Conclusão: Características estruturais e psicológicas, hábitos de vida inadequados e atitudes frente ao tratamento medicamentoso influenciaram aspectos da adesão ao tratamento, tais como o não comparecimento às consultas e a interrupção do tratamento. Em face dos dados obtidos, os profissionais de saúde devem implementar estratégias para atender os pacientes com síndrome coronariana aguda, visando à prevenção secundária. / Introduction: The cardiovascular diseases are the most important cause of mortality in the country and show mainly in the form of coronary arterial disease, which the main manifestations are characterized by the acute coronary syndrome: instable angina, acute attack of the myocardium. In this way, a study was made with the aim to characterized the bio-psychosocial profile of the patients after the acute coronary syndrome, recognizing the factors which could interfere in the adherence to the treatment about the non attendance to the appointments, interruption of the treatment and the control of the blood pressure, besides the association of the bio-psychosocial profile of the patients to the factors connected to the adherence. Method and Casuistic: A descriptive and exploring study, made in a University hospital in the city of São Paulo that analyzed 85 patients with the diagnostics of the acute coronary syndrome. After receiving the doctor’s avail to leave the hospital, the patients were interviewed in ambulatories in order to collect structure, socioeconomic, habits of life, knowledge of the disease and of the treatment data. The main purpose was to evaluate the psychological welfare state of the patients; the questionnaire of general health was used. The results were run in the system SPSS v. 7.5. and the significance level adopted was 0,05. Results: 85 patients were studied, 56% men, 69% ith companion, 59+-9,6 years old, 85% white, 52% finished the elementary school, 54% with the income of between 2 and 5 salaries, 79% with the precedents of high blood pressure, 62% with high blood cholesterol and 40% for the acute myocardium attack. About 35% of them spoke about the non attendance to the appointments and the interruption of the treatment. About the attitude towards the necessity to take medicines, 63% of the patients spoke about the constant or periodical carelessness of the medicines. The analysis of logistic regression indicated the independent association to the following varieties: (OD odds ratio, IC confidence break around 95%): 1 – non attendance to the appointments, white ethnic (OR = 0,27 IC 95% 0,08- 0,86) and bad eating habits (OR=1,07 IC 1,00-1,45); 2 – interruption of the treatment associated to the non attendance to the appointments (OR=6,09 IC 1,81-20,49), the alcoholic drinks consumption (OR=5,05 IC 1,61-15,76), and auto medication (OR=7,89 IC 2,39-26,05); 3 – high blood pressure out of control (=140/90 mmHg) with the accompaniment in the coronary ambulatory (OR=2,78, IC 1,01-7,65). The higher frequency of the alterations in the percentage board in the Goldberg’s general health questionnaire dominions was associated to the following variations: 1 – Stress associated to auto medication (OR=6,09 IC 1,32-14,5) and HDLc =40mg/dL (OR=1,04 IC 1,00-1,08); 2 – auto efficiency with accompaniment in the coronary ambulatory (OR=2,78 IC 1,19-12,23), auto medication (OR=4,62 IC 1,46-14,95) and HDLc =40mg/dL (OR=1,04 IC 1,19-12,23); 3 – Sleeping disturbance associated to anxiety reference (OR=5,61 IC 1,65- 19,09) and total cholesterol total = 200 mg/Dl (OR=4,42 IC 1,36-14,38); 4 – psychosomatic disturbances associated to the female genre (OR=6,57 IC 1,96-22,0) and the report of anxiety (OR=4,06 IC 1,24-13,3); 5 – health general rate of evaluation associated to the female genre (OR=3,96 IC 1,26-12,43) and auto medication (OR=4,06 IC 1,24-13,3); Conclusion: The structural and psychological characteristics, inadequate life habits and attitudes facing the medicine treatment influence the aspects of adherence to the treatment, such as the non attendance to the appointments and the interruption of the treatment. Facing all the searched data, the health professionals must implement strategies to support the patients with acute coronary syndrome, looking for the secondary prevention.

INTRODUÇÃO: A angiotomografia computadorizada com múltiplos detectores (ATCMD) apresenta alta acurácia para a detecção de estenose luminal significativa das artérias coronárias ( 50%) quando comparada à angiografia coronária invasiva (ACI). Recentemente, esse método vem sendo investigado na avaliação de pacientes com dor torácica aguda de baixo risco. No entanto, poucos estudos investigaram a capacidade da ATCMD na avaliação de pacientes com maior risco para síndrome coronária aguda (SCA). OBJETIVOS: Investigar a acurácia diagnóstica da ATCMD com 64 colunas de detectores para a detecção de estenose luminal coronária 50% definida pela ACI em indivíduos com suspeita de SCA sem supradesnível do segmento ST e comparar estes resultados com a acurácia encontrada em pacientes com suspeita de doença coronária crônica; avaliar a capacidade da ATCMD em predizer revascularização miocárdica nos 30 primeiros dias de seguimento. Adicionalmente objetivamos verificar a prevalência e a acurácia da presença de calcificação coronária para detecção de estenose luminal coronária significativa. MÉTODOS: Pacientes que participaram do estudo multicêntrico internacional CorE64 foram classificados nos grupos SCA e não-SCA de acordo com critérios clínicos, incluindo a presença de angina ao repouso, alterações isquêmicas ao ECG e elevação de marcadores de necrose miocárdica. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à ATCMD e posteriormente à ACI e para a análise primária foram considerados apenas aqueles com escore de cálcio (EC) 600. RESULTADOS: Dos 291 pacientes incluídos, 80 (27%) foram classificados no grupo SCA. A prevalência de estenose coronária 50% foi de 68% neste grupo e de 52% no grupo não-SCA (p=0,015). A acurácia diagnóstica da ATCMD, em análise por paciente, para detecção de estenose coronária significativa demonstrada pela análise da área sob a Curva de Características Operacionais (AUC) foi de 0,95 (IC 95%: 0,90-0,99) e 0,92 (IC 95%: 0,89-0,96) nos grupos SCA e não-SCA, respectivamente (p=0,44). Nos 30 dias de seguimento, 98 pacientes foram submetidos à revascularização miocárdica (48 do grupo SCA e 50 do grupo não-SCA). A AUC da ATCMD e da ACI para predição de revascularização foi de 0,91 (95% IC: 0,83-0,99) e 0,89 (95% IC: 0,80-0,98), respectivamente, no grupo SCA (p=0,61) e 0,80 (95% IC: 0,74-0,86) e 0,79 (95% IC: 0,73-0,85) no grupo não-SCA, p=0,75. Comparando os dois grupos estudados, a ATCMD foi melhor preditora de revascularização no grupo SCA (p=0,035). No grupo SCA, 6 pacientes (7,5%) tinham EC zero e estenose coronária significativa, comparado a 8 indivíduos (3,8%) do grupo não-SCA (p=0,22). Considerando pacientes com EC baixo (0 a 9), 12 (15%) do grupo SCA e 11 (5,2%) do não- SCA apresentaram estenose coronária 50% (p=0,012). A acurácia do EC para detecção de estenose coronária significativa nos grupos SCA e não- SCA foi de 0,73 (IC 95%: 0,63-0,82) e 0,70 (IC 95%: 0,64-0,76), respectivamente (p=0,75), sendo que o valor preditivo negativo no grupo SCA foi estatisticamente menor que no grupo não-SCA [0,63 (IC95%: 0,39- 0,86) e 0,86 (IC 95%: 0,77-0,95), respectivamente, p=0,038]. CONCLUSÕES: A ATCMD apresentou alta acurácia diagnóstica para detecção de estenose coronária significativa nos grupos SCA e não-SCA, não havendo diferença significativa entre ambos. A ATCMD obteve acurácia semelhante à ACI na predição de revascularização, sendo maior no grupo SCA que no não-SCA. A acurácia do EC para a detecção de estenose coronária 50% foi moderada em ambos os grupos, sendo que um EC zero ou baixo não excluiu a ocorrência de estenose significativa, especialmente no grupo SCA / BACKGROUND: Multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) has shown high accuracy to detect obstructive coronary luminal stenosis ( 50%) compared to invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Recently, this technology has been investigated in the evaluation of patients with low-risk acute chest pain. However, few studies investigated its diagnostic performance in higher-risk patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). OBJECTIVES: To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of 64- row computed tomography angiography to detect significant coronary stenosis defined by ICA in a per-patient analysis and its ability to predict coronary revascularization in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome and in those with chronic, stable coronary artery disease; to identify the prevalence and the diagnostic accuracy of coronary calcification to detect significant luminal stenosis in both groups. METHODS: Patients included in the international multicenter trial CorE64 were categorized as suspected ACS or non-ACS based on clinical data. A 64-row coronary MDCTA was performed before ICA and both exams were evaluated by blinded, independent core laboratories. RESULTS: From 291 patients with coronary calcium score (CCS) 600 included in the primary analysis, 80 were categorized as suspected ACS. The prevalence of obstructive coronary disease was 68% in suspected ACS and 52% in non-ACS group (p=0.015). Patient-based analysis showed an area under the receiver-operatingcharacteristic curve (AUC) for detecting coronary stenosis 50% of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90-0.99) in ACS and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89-0.96) in non-ACS group (p=0.44). After 30 days of follow-up, 98 patients were submitted to coronary revascularization (48 from the ACS and 50 from the non-ACS group). MDCTA was similar to ICA to predict coronary revascularization in both groups with AUC of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83-0.99) for MDCTA versus 0.89 (95% CI: 0.80-0.98) for ICA in the ACS group (p=0.61) and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.74- 0.86) for MDCTA versus 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73-0.85) for ICA in non-ACS group (p=0.75). MDCTA was better to predict revascularization in ACS than in non- ACS group (p=0.035). In the suspected ACS group, 6 patients (7.5%) had no coronary calcification and coronary stenosis 50%, compared with 8 patients (3.8%) in the non-ACS group (p=0.22). Considering patients with zero or low (0 to 9) CCS, 12 (15%) in the ACS and 11 (5.2%) in the non-ACS group had significant coronary stenosis (p=0.012). The accuracy of CCS to detect obstructive coronary stenosis in the ACS and non-ACS groups were 0.73 (95% CI: 0.63-0.82) e 0.70 (95% CI: 0.64-0.76), p=0.75, and its negative predictive value in the suspected ACS group was lower than in non-ACS patients [0.63 (95% CI: 0.39-0.86) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.77-0.95), respectively, p=0.038]. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary MDCTA diagnostic accuracy was high and comparable for both ACS and non-ACS patients. MDCTA predicted revascularization similarly to ICA and its prediction ability was significantly better in the ACS than in non-ACS group. The diagnostic accuracy of a positive CCS to detect luminal stenosis 50% was moderate in both groups and a zero or low CCS could not exclude reliably significant coronary stenosis, particularly in suspected ACS patients

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome, cardiogenic shock, and sudden cardiac death in women of reproductive age who have no traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease. The etiology, prognosis, and treatment of SCAD remain poorly defined. Coronary angiography is the gold standard for diagnosis. Management includes medical therapy and revascularization procedures using percutaneous intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting. Possible mechanisms of SCAD include rupture of atherosclerotic plaque or vasa vasorum, hemorrhage between the outer media and external lamina with intramedial hematoma expansion, and compression of the vessel lumen. We report a case of SCAD in a 39-year-old woman presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction midway through her menstrual cycle. Her medications included fenfluramine for obesity and hydrochlorothiazide, amlodipine, and atenolol for hypertension.

No description available.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第21252号 / 医博第4370号 / 新制||医||1029(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 川上 浩司, 教授 中山 健夫, 教授 小池 薫 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

No description available.

No description available.

Chest pain is a common presenting complaint to emergency departments (EDs) and is a symptom of serious cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (MI) and possibly cardiovascular death. Early decision-making regarding patient disposition is crucial for early intervention and to avoid ED congestion. The Third Universal Definition of MI states that MI diagnosis be made using electrocardiogram (ECG) findings and/or a rise and/or fall in cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations. However, patients with ECG abnormalities represent less than 1/3 of all ACS patients, leaving the remaining to be diagnosed using multiple measurements of cTn over several hours. I therefore aimed to develop a strategy to identify patients at low-risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (early rule-out), as well as those at greatest short-term cardiac risk (early rule-in). In this thesis I present published work on the clinical utility of glycogen phosphorylase Isoenzyme BB (metabolic marker) in combination with high-sensitivity cTn (hs-cTn) to rule-out adverse cardiac events within 72hrs for patients presenting to the ED within 6hrs of ACS symptom onset. I further assessed the utility of metabolic markers using glucose in this setting. Preliminary results show that using a “healthy” hs-cTn concentration with a normal glucose measurement at presentation can be used to rule-out patients who present to the ED with clinical suspicion of ischemia. Further expansion of this hypothesis demonstrated that an algorithm incorporating both glucose and cTn can effectively rule-in/rule-out MI or MI/cardiovascular death in patients who present to the ED with symptoms of ACS. In addition, presentation hemoglobin A1c identified previously unknown diabetes; which may have overall health implications for these patients. I also demonstrate that using glucose in combination with cTn is a cost-effective decision-making tool in the ED as compared to cTn alone. Application of these rule-in/rule-out algorithms can improve morbidity/mortality rates, and alleviate healthcare burdens. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science) / Myocardial ischemia is a reduction in coronary blood flow that is insufficient for heart cell demand, which can lead to myocardial injury and cell death. Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) encompasses three clinical presentations of myocardial ischemia: ST-elevation MI (STEMI), non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and unstable angina (UA). Current guidelines recommend using electrocardiogram (ECG) findings and multiple cardiac troponin (cTn) measurements over several hours to diagnose (rule-in) or rule-out ACS in the emergency department (ED). However, given these recommendations patients may spend several hours in the ED, consuming valuable time and resources. This project explores the use of glycemic biomarkers [e.g., glucose and haemoglobin A1c] in combination with cTn to rule-in/rule-out MI and other major cardiovascular events (MACE) to facilitate early decision-making in the ED. This thesis demonstrates that a combination of cTn and glucose at presentation is both an efficient and cost-effective tool for early decision-making in the ED.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and ischemic heart disease is the most common manifestation. Despite improved outcomes during the last decades, patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are still at substantial risk of recurrent ischemic events and mortality. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the effect of the novel antiplatelet agent ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in patients with non-ST-elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS), overall and in relation to initial revascularization, and to explore this effect in relation to cardiac biomarkers. The impact of timing of revascularization in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was also studied, by assessing risk of mortality and recurrent myocardial infarction in relation to delay of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a nation-wide cohort. Finally, a novel clinical prediction model based on angiographic findings, biomarkers, and clinical characteristics was developed to estimate risk of ischemic events after performed revascularization. Ticagrelor treatment compared with clopidogrel was associated with a reduction in the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death/myocardial infarction/stroke and mortality alone, without any increase in overall major bleeding, but increased non-CABG-related major bleeding. The effect of ticagrelor over clopidogrel was consistent independent of initial revascularization. Elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-T predicted benefit of ticagrelor over clopidogrel, while no difference between treatments was detected at normal levels. In patients with NSTEMI, PCI treatment within two days after hospital admission was associated with lower risk of all-cause death and recurrent myocardial infarction compared with delayed PCI. The new clinical prediction model included the following variables: prior vascular disease, extent of coronary artery disease, level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and estimated glomerular filtration rate; and showed good discriminatory ability for the risk prediction of cardiovascular death/myocardial infarction/stroke and cardiovascular death alone. In conclusion, these results show that ticagrelor reduces the risk of recurrent ischemic events and mortality in patients with NSTE-ACS when compared with clopidogrel, and this effect seems independent of performed revascularization. The results also indicate that biomarkers could be used to select patients who would benefit most from more intense platelet inhibition. Furthermore, early PCI in NSTEMI seems to be associated with improved outcome. Finally, the novel clinical prediction model based only on four variables showed good discriminatory ability, which makes it a potentially effective and simple tool for tailored treatment based on individual risk of recurrent events.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a term used to cover a group of clinical symptoms compatible with acute myocardial ischemia, represents a high-risk group of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). To improve quality of care, international guidelines for the management of ACS have been established and are updated regularly. In the era of evidence based medicine, adherence to therapeutic guidelines is essential for optimal care of ACS patients. However, most data on ACS epidemiology, treatment and outcomes are derived from western population. There are limited data in Chinese population in terms of prevalence, presentation, response to treatment and clinical outcome. / Among 624 patients finished Short Form (SF)-36 questionnaires, health related quality of life (HRQoL) were compared between patients underwent PCI versus those treated conservatively across 3 age groups (<60, 60-79 and ≥80 years). PCI was performed in 73.6%,55.7% and 21.3% in patients aged <60,60-79 and older than 80 years, respectively (p<0.01). Elderly patients were more likely to be female (16.9 vs. 35.4 vs. 54.6%, p<0.01) and had more co-morbidities (p<0.01). Older patients were less likely to undergo angiography (84.8 vs. 65.2 vs. 24.8%, p<0.01). Baseline HRQoL decreased with advancing age (p<0.01). However, elderly patients who underwent PCI-experienced the most improvement in physical health than younger age groups. PCI was an independent predictor (OR, 1.79,95% CI: 1.10-2.92) of better physical health status at 6 months. In conclusion, elderly ACS patients who underwent PCI experienced the most improvement in physical health compared to younger patients. Our findings suggest that age per se should not deter against revascularization because of potential benefits in HRQOL. / In summary, this is the first registry which described patients' characteristics, treatment and management practices, and hospital outcomes over the whole spectrum of ACS in Hong Kong. The study identified gaps between guideline and clinical practice as well as the reasons of these gaps, and measured the impact of such gaps on the outcomes of patients with ACS. Compared with internationally reported data, Hong Kong patients are different in terms of age and risk factors distribution. Treatment gaps exist between international therapeutic guideline recommendations and clinical practice, especially among the high risk population, the elderly and female patients. Better understanding and narrowing these gaps between guideline and practice will lead to improvement in quality of care and clinical outcomes. Increase use ofrisk stratification models and health status assessments may improve decision making in the management of ACS. / Patients with ACS were divided into low- and high-predicted risk of mortality at 6 months using the GRACE risk score (≥142.5 was defined as high-risk). We evaluated the use of in-hospital angiography, revascularization, anti-platelet, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), beta-blockers and statins therapy between high and low-risk patients. There were 259 patients in the high- and 742 in the low-risk groups. Paradoxically, high-risk compared to low-risk patients were less likely to underwent coronary angiography and/or revascularization during the index hospitalization (33% vs. 64% and 25% vs. 50%, both p<0.01). Hospital initiated pharmacotherapies are also lower in high-risk patients (24% vs. 55% for c1opidogrel, 49% vs. 58% for ACEI/ARBs, 54% vs. 69% for beta-blockers and 56% vs. 77% for statins; all p<0.01). After adjustment, high-risk patients remained less likely to undergo revascularization (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.47; 95% CI, 0.33-0.73, p<0.001) than low-risk patients. Advanced age, increased creatinine level and higher GRACE score were independent predictors for failure to administer evidence-based therapies. Thus, patients with ACS at high risk of mortality were paradoxically less likely to undergo revascularization or receive medications according to guidelines. Better adherence to evidence-based therapies in high-risk patients may improve clinical outcome and quality of health care. / The Hong Kong ACS registry was designed to investigate epidemiology, treatment and outcome of ACS patients under current medical care system, it was conducted in a university affiliated teaching hospital from February 2006 to December 2009. Clinical characteristics and treatment data were collected at baseline, 30 days and 6 months after onset in a standard defined case report form. SF-36 questionnaire was completed after admission and at 6 months. Outcomes were evaluated mortality and morbidity in clinical aspect and quality of life in aspect of health status. / The Main findings were as followed: Totally 1001 patients admitted with ACS were recruited. Among all patients enrolled, 31.7% were diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, 42.7% with non-S'T-segrnent myocardial infarction and 21.6% with unstable angina. The median age was 72 (interquartile range 61-79) years; 77.2% were >60 years old, and 31.5% were women. / Women presented more often with NSTE-ACS than men (77.3% of women vs. 63.2% of men, p<0.001). Despite having greater cornorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, renal impairment and history of heart failure etc., women were observed to have higher GRACE (global registry of acute coronaryevents) score than men (128+/-32 vs. 118+/-37, p score than men (128+/-32 vs. 118+/-37, p<0.01). Women were less likely to be assigned invasive procedures (43.3% vs. 62.9%, p<0.001) as well as pharmacotherapies such as clopidogrel (41.1% vs. 58.8%, p<0.001), glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antagonists (5.3% vs. 11.6%, p=0.001) and statins (64.1% vs. 77.2%, p<0.01) et al. than men. For in-hospital mortality, the adjusted odds ratio for men compared to women was similar (odds ratio [OR]: 1.32, 95% CI: 0.62-2.83, p=0.47). The higher 6 month mortality and major cardiac events rate in women were not significant after adjusting for differences in clinical characteristics and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (OR=1.02; 95% CI 0.62 to 1.68; p=0.95). In summary, there were differences in baseline characteristics and in the management of women and men admitted for ACS. Advanced age and high comorbidities prevalence could explain most of the difference between genders suggesting that decision making bias in clinical practice is anti-age but not anti-female. Overall, in-hospital and 6 months mortality was similar for women and men after adjustments. / Li, Rujie. / "December 2010." / Adviser: Cheuk-Man Yu. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-04, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-166). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.