BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events as compared to non-diabetic patients. This analysis investigated outcomes of diabetic patients presenting with multivessel disease (MVD) and STEMI in a contemporary trial and the relevance of an immediate versus staged multivessel PCI strategy in this high-risk population.

METHODS: Patients enrolled in the MULTISTARS AMI trial were stratified according to the presence/absence of diabetes. Baseline characteristics and outcomes of diabetic and non-diabetic patients were compared. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, unplanned ischemia-driven revascularization, or hospitalization for heart failure at 1 year.

RESULTS: In the MULTISTARS AMI trial, out of a total of 840 patients, 131 (15.6%) patients had diabetes. Patients with diabetes had a higher cardiovascular risk profile and worse kidney function. The occurrence of the primary end point was similar between patients with and without diabetes (HR, 1.14 (95% CI, 0.69-1.90), p-value = 0.60). Rates of non-cardiovascular death (HR, 6.53 (95% CI, 2.00-21.33)) and acute renal failure (HR, 3.23 (95% CI, 1.49-7.04)) were higher in diabetic patients as compared to non-diabetic patients. Comparing an immediate with a staged PCI strategy in diabetic patients, a numerically lower number of patients in the immediate PCI group experienced a primary end point event (10.6% vs. 16.9%, HR, 0.60 (95% CI, 0.23-1.53), p-value = 0.28).

CONCLUSION: Among diabetic patients with STEMI and MVD, a strategy of immediate multivessel PCI may be safe and comparable to a strategy of staged multivessel PCI.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Supported by Boston Scientific; MULTISTARS AMI ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03135275.