Heart Health Increasing the Number of Coronary Interventions Does Not Appear to Reduce Death Rates

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention is a life-saving procedure used to restore blood flow as soon as possible after the onset of a heart attack. A study has now revealed that increasing the number of coronary interventions in patients with acute myocardial infarction does not appear to reduce death rates.

Munich/Germany – An increase in the number of percutaneous coronary interventions does not appear to have resulted in reduced mortality rates, according to results presented at the EAPCI Summit 2026. The summit is a new event organized by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), an association of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a life-saving procedure used to restore blood flow as soon as possible after the onset of a heart attack (myocardial infarction [MI]). It involves unblocking the coronary arteries, often using a stent inserted via a catheter from the groin or wrist.

Study presenter, Ali Malik from King’s College London, UK, noted that statistical analyses are ongoing to evaluate the impact of primary PCI procedures across Europe. “It is well established that primary PCI plays a pivotal role in reducing mortality after MI; however, significant variability exists at local, national and regional levels in the provision of primary PCI and associated patient outcomes,” he stated.

The investigators analyzed data from the ESC Atlas of Cardiology and the ESC Atlas in Interventional Cardiology, which compile statistics on cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, risk factors, outcomes and management practices to highlight current trends, gaps and disparities in the quality of care. ESC Atlas data were integrated with datasets from the World Health Organization, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and from Eurostat, covering 21 European countries. The association between primary PCI procedures per million inhabitants and age-standardized acute MI mortality rates was assessed, adjusting for confounding variables including the prevalence of CVD and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

Across the countries analyzed, higher GDP per capita was associated with lower age-standardized MI mortality rates, demonstrating a moderate inverse correlation (population correlation coefficient=−0.54; p=0.004). Conversely, greater CVD prevalence was associated with higher age-standardized MI mortality rates (population correlation coefficient=+0.45; p=0.02).

Following adjustment for GDP per capita and CVD prevalence, a moderate positive correlation emerged: higher rates of primary PCI were associated with increased age-standardized MI mortality (population correlation coefficient=+0.68; p<0.001).

A weak inverse association was identified indicating that a greater number of primary PCI procedures performed per interventional cardiologist was associated with lower MI mortality rates (population correlation coefficient=−0.27; p=0.23).

Co-investigator, Sukruth Pradeep Kundur, also from King’s College London, commented: “One would anticipate that increased provision of primary PCI would yield lower mortality rates; therefore, we will conduct additional analyzes to elucidate why this trend is not evident in our preliminary findings. The observed association with procedural workload highlights the significance of operator expertise. In addition, system-level factors include inter-centre variability and the interval between symptom onset and access to primary PCI.”

Senior author, Doctor Sanjay Sivalokanathan from the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, USA, concluded: “The global rise in cardiometabolic risk factors appears to play a meaningful role in the clinical complexity of patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes. As such, PCI may be challenging in certain settings, highlighting the importance of operator experience and advanced interventional strategies. These developments emphasize the need for collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches, while prevention remains the cornerstone of reducing the overall burden of cardiovascular disease and associated mortality.”

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