Is primary angioplasty more effective than prehospital fibrinolysis in diabetics with acute myocardial infarction? Data from the CAPTIM randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Aims: The CAPTIM study randomized patients managed within 6 h of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction to primary angioplasty or prehospital fibrinolysis (rt-PA), with immediate transfer to a centre with interventional facilities. It found a similar incidence of the primary endpoint of death, recurrent MI, or stroke at 30 days with both strategies. We report here the outcome in the diabetic subgroup.

Methods and results: The relationship of diabetic status (diabetics, n=103, non-diabetics, n=731) and treatment strategy with the occurrence of the primary endpoint and of death was analysed. Compared with non-diabetics, diabetics had a higher baseline risk profile, a higher rate of the primary endpoint (14.6 vs. 5.6%; P=0.002), and a high rate of mortality (8.7 vs. 3.1%; P=0.01) at 30 days. The incidence of the primary endpoint tended to be higher in diabetics randomized to prehospital fibrinolysis compared with those randomized to primary angioplasty [21.7 vs. 8.8% (10/46 vs. 5/57); RR: 2.47 (0.91-6.74); P=0.09]. This difference was driven by the higher mortality in the fibrinolysis group [13.0 vs. 5.3% (6/46 vs. 3/57); RR: 2.47 (0.7-9.4); P=0.29]. For non-diabetics, no such trend was observed. Compared with non-diabetics, diabetics had a much higher rate of rescue angioplasty (41.4 vs. 23.5%; P=0.01) and a higher mortality after rescue angioplasty [17.4 vs. 0% (4/23 vs. 0/90); P=0.001].

Conclusion: These results suggest that diabetic patients presenting within 6 h of an acute myocardial infarction may derive particular benefit from a strategy of primary angioplasty. However, the small number of diabetic patients in this subgroup analysis does not allow a final conclusion and a specifically designed study is warranted.