Predictors of adverse diastolic remodeling in non-diabetic patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Background: Adverse systolic remodeling after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, little is known about diastolic remodeling. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors leading to diastolic remodeling. Methods: Echocardiography was performed during hospitalization and at 4 months follow-up in 267 non-diabetic STEMI patients from the GIPS-III trial. As parameters of diastolic remodeling we used (1.) the E/e′ at 4 months adjusted for the E/e′ at hospitalization and (2.) the change in E/e′ between hospitalization and 4 months. Multivariable regression models correcting for age and sex were constructed to identify possible association of clinical and angiographic variables as well as biomarkers with diastolic remodeling. Results: Older age, female gender, hypertension, multi vessel disease, higher glucose and higher peak CK were independent predictors of higher E/e′ at 4 months in a multivariable model (R²:0.20). After adjustment for E/e′ during hospitalization only female gender, multivessel disease and higher glucose remained predictors of E/e′ at four months (R²:0.40). Lower myocardial blush grade, AST and NT-proBNP were independent predictors of a higher increase of E/e′ between hospitalization and at 4 months in a multivariable model (R²:0.08). Conclusions: Our data supports the hypothesis that female gender, multivessel coronary artery disease, and microvascular damage are important predictors of adverse diastolic remodeling after STEMI. In addition, our data suggests that older age and hypertension prior to STEMI may have contributed to worse pre-existing diastolic function. Trial registration: NIH, NCT01217307. Prospectively registered on October 8th 2010, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01217307.