Baseline clinical characteristics and patient profile of the TURKMI registry: Results of a nation-wide acute myocardial infarction registry in Turkey

Abstract

Objective: The TURKMI registry is designed to provide insight into the characteristics, management from symptom onset to hospital discharge, and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) in Turkey. We report the baseline and clinical characteristics of the TURKMI population.

Methods: The TURKMI study is a nation-wide registry that was conducted in 50 centers capable of percutaneous coronary intervention selected from each EuroStat NUTS region in Turkey according to population sampling weight, prioritized by the number of hospitals in each region. All consecutive patients with acute MI admitted to coronary care units within 48 hours of symptom onset were prospectively enrolled during a predefined 2-week period between November 1, 2018 and November 16, 2018.

Results: A total of 1930 consecutive patients (mean age, 62.0±13.2 years; 26.1% female) with a diagnosis of acute MI were prospectively enrolled. More than half of the patients were diagnosed with non-ST elevation MI (61.9%), and 38.1% were diagnosed with ST elevation MI. Coronary angiography was performed in 93.7% and, percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in 73.2% of the study population. Fibrinolytic therapy was administered to 13 patients (0.018%). Aspirin was prescribed in 99.3% of the patients, and 94% were on dual antiplatelet therapy at the time of discharge. Beta blockers were prescribed in 85.0%, anti-lipid drugs in 96.3%, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in 58.4%, and angiotensin receptor blockers in 7.9%. Comparison with European countries revealed that TURKMI patients experienced MI at younger ages compared with patients in France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The most prevalent risk factors in the TURKMI population were hypercholesterolemia (60.2%), hypertension (49.5%), smoking (48.8%), and diabetes (37.9%).

Conclusion: The nation-wide TURKMI registry revealed that hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and smoking were the most prevalent risk factors. TURKMI patients were younger compared with patients in European Countries. The TURKMI registry also confirmed that current treatment guidelines are largely adopted into clinical cardiology practice in Turkey in terms of antiplatelet, anti-ischemic, and anti-lipid therapy. (Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53)

Keywords: acute myocardial infarction, registry, Turkey, coronary artery disease

Full text

Address for correspondence: Dr. Meral Kayıkçıoğlu, Ege Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi,
Kardiyoloji Anabilim Dalı, 35100 İzmir-Türkiye
Phone: +90 532 412 34 89 E-mail: meral.kayikcioglu@ege.edu.tr
Accepted Date: 17.04.2020 Available Online Date: 09.05.2020
©Copyright 2020 by Turkish Society of Cardiology - Available online at www.anatoljcardiol.com
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696
Original Investigation 43
Mustafa Kemal Erol
1
, Meral Kayıkçıoğlu
2
, Mustafa Kılıçkap
3
, Can Baba Arın
4
,
İbrahim Halil Kurt
5
, İbrahim Aktaş
6
, Yılmaz Güneş
7
, Eyüp Özkan
8
, Taner Şen
9
,
Orhan İnce
10
, Ender Örnek
11
, Ramazan Asoğlu
12
, Nesim Aladağ
13
, Utku Zeybey
14
,
Ümit Yaşar Sinan
15
, Muhammet Dural
16
, Haşim Tüner
17
, Arda Can Doğan
18
, Mustafa Yenerçağ
19
,
Mehmet Kadri Akboğa
20
, Onur Sinan Deveci
21
, Mustafa Umut Somuncu
22
, on behalf of TURKMI study group
1
Department of Cardiology, Şişli International Kolan Hospital; İstanbul-
Turkey
2
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University; İzmir-
Turkey
3
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University; Ankara-
Turkey
4
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Dr. Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center,
Training and Research Hospital; İstanbul-
Turkey
5
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Adana City Training and Research Hospital; Adana-
Turkey
6
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Malatya Training and Research Hospital; Malatya-
Turkey
7
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Abant İzzet Baysal University; Bolu-
Turkey
8
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Kayseri City Training and Research Hospital; Kayseri-
Turkey
9
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kütahya Health Science University; Kütahya-
Turkey
10
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Bağcılar Training and Research Hospital; İstanbul-
Turkey
11
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Ankara City Training and Research Hospital
12
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Adıyaman University, Adıyaman Training and Research Hospital; Adıyaman-
Turkey
13
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Van Training and Research Hospital; Van-
Turkey
14
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University; Edirne-
Turkey
15
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul University; İstanbul-
Turkey
16
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Osmangazi University; Eskişehir-
Turkey
17
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Yüzüncü Yıl University; Van-
Turkey
18
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, İstanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and
Cardiovasculer Surgery Center Training and Research Hospital; İstanbul-
Turkey
19
Department of Cardiology, Health Science University, Samsun Training and Research Hospital; Samsun-
Turkey
20
Ankara Gazi University and, Ankara City Training and Research Hospital;
Ankara-
Turkey
21
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University; Adana-
Turkey
22
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bülent Ecevit University; Zonguldak-
Turkey
Baseline clinical characteristics and patient prole of the TURKMI
registry: Results of a nation-wide acute myocardial infarction
registry in Turkey

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696
44
Introduction
Management of acute coronary events has evolved rapidly
during the past decades (1, 2). Practice guidelines have also im-
proved recommendations with more aggressive targets based
on the results of randomized controlled trials. Implementation of
these guidelines is associated with an improvement in care and
a signicant reduction of major adverse coronary events. How-
ever, national registries have shown signicant gaps between
the recommendations of guidelines and their implementation
into clinical practice in real-life settings (2). Many countries
have reviewed national health policies with the help of these
registries to address the extent to which current guidelines have
been implemented (3-7). Moreover, many countries continuously
revise their health policies to capture updated standards by re-
peating the national acute coronary registrations in certain time
periods. In Turkey, there is no up-to-date registry representing
the country’s population of patients with acute myocardial in-
farction (MI), but there are a few registries that provide informa-
tion regarding the management of acute MI. Some of these are
generalized and based on localized data; most are not represen-
tative of the Turkish population (8-10). The only acute MI regis-
try with a high level of representation, TUMAR, was conducted
20 years ago, at a time when noninvasive treatment was more
popular and new treatment modalities were not available. There-
fore, the results of TUMAR cannot be compared with current
practice (11). TURKMI, a nation-wide registry, was conducted to
provide insight into the current real-life management of patients
with acute MI in cardiology centers representing the popula-
tion of Turkey. TURKMI also includes demographic information
about patients presenting with acute MI in Turkey. In this study,
we report the baseline characteristics and patient prole of the
TURKMI population (3, 5, 6).
Methods
TURKMI was conducted as a 15-day snapshot registry to en-
roll consecutive patients with acute MI and evaluate the burden
and variation of MI care and outcomes regarding adherence to
current practice guidelines in Turkey. The rationale and design
of the study have been described in detail previously (12). Briey,
all consecutive patients with acute MI who were admitted to the
coronary care units of 50 cardiology clinics within 48 hours of
symptom onset were prospectively enrolled between the dates
of November 1 and November 15, 2018. The 50 cardiology clinics
represented the 12 EuroNUTS statistical regions of Turkey pro-
portional to Turkey’s 2018 census (12, 13). Figure 1 shows the
distribution of centers representing Turkey's population in the 12
EuroNUTS regions. All centers were chosen as emergent cen-
ters capable of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). There
was an angiography team on duty 24 hours a day in 34 centers
and an on-call team was available in 16 locations. The study pro-
tocol has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee
University of Health Sciences, Istanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Tho-
racic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospi-
tal (No: 2018-46 on October 9, 2018). Written informed consent
was obtained from all participants.
Men and women aged 18 years or older were enrolled if they
fullled the following inclusion criteria; 1) hospitalized within 48
hours of onset of symptoms of the index event, 2) had a nal (dis-
charge) diagnosis of acute MI, either ST elevation MI (STEMI) or
non-ST elevation (NSTEMI) with positive troponin levels, and 3)
provided signed informed consent. Patients unwilling or unable
to provide consent were excluded (n=3).
Diagnosis of MI was based on both elevated troponin levels
and presence of at least 1 of the criteria (12, 14), including symp-
toms compatible with myocardial ischemia, new, or presumed
new signicant ST-T wave changes, left bundle branch block
Objective: The TURKMI registry is designed to provide insight into the characteristics, management from symptom onset to hospital discharge,
and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) in Turkey. We report the baseline and clinical characteristics of the TURKMI
population.
Methods: The TURKMI study is a nation-wide registry that was conducted in 50 centers capable of percutaneous coronary intervention selected
from each EuroStat NUTS region in Turkey according to population sampling weight, prioritized by the number of hospitals in each region. All
consecutive patients with acute MI admitted to coronary care units within 48 hours of symptom onset were prospectively enrolled during a
predefined 2-week period between November 1, 2018 and November 16, 2018.
Results: A total of 1930 consecutive patients (mean age, 62.0±13.2 years; 26.1% female) with a diagnosis of acute MI were prospectively enrolled.
More than half of the patients were diagnosed with non-ST elevation MI (61.9%), and 38.1% were diagnosed with ST elevation MI. Coronary
angiography was performed in 93.7% and, percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in 73.2% of the study population. Fibrinolytic
therapy was administered to 13 patients (0.018%). Aspirin was prescribed in 99.3% of the patients, and 94% were on dual antiplatelet therapy
at the time of discharge. Beta blockers were prescribed in 85.0%, anti-lipid drugs in 96.3%, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in 58.4%,
and angiotensin receptor blockers in 7.9%. Comparison with European countries revealed that TURKMI patients experienced MI at younger
ages compared with patients in France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The most prevalent risk factors in the TURKMI population were
hypercholesterolemia (60.2%), hypertension (49.5%), smoking (48.8%), and diabetes (37.9%).
Conclusion: The nation-wide TURKMI registry revealed that hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and smoking were the most prevalent risk fac-
tors. TURKMI patients were younger compared with patients in European Countries. The TURKMI registry also confirmed that current treatment
guidelines are largely adopted into clinical cardiology practice in Turkey in terms of antiplatelet, anti-ischemic, and anti-lipid therapy. (Anatol J
Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53)
Keywords: acute myocardial infarction, registry, Turkey, coronary artery disease
ABSTRACT

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696 45
(LBBB) on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) or new pathological
Q wave on ECG (14). ST elevation consistent with MI was de-
ned as new ST elevation at the J point in at least 2 contiguous
leads with the cutoff value of 0.1 mV or higher in all leads except
V2 and V3, in which the cutoff values were 0.2 mV or higher in
men 40 years or older, 0.25 mV or higher in men younger than 40
years, or 0.15 mV or higher in women (14). In patients who met
the MI criteria, STEMI was diagnosed if ST elevation criteria or
new or presumed new LBBB was present. Otherwise, a diagno-
sis of NSTEMI was made. Posterior STEMI was diagnosed if ST
depression in leads V1 to V3 accompanied ST elevation in the
inferior and/or lateral leads, or if total or near total lesion was
detected in the right coronary artery or circumex artery in pa-
tients who underwent coronary angiography.
All enrolled patients underwent routine clinical assessments
and received the standard medical care currently performed
in routine clinical practice. According to the TURKMI protocol,
prescriptions of drugs and indications of diagnostic or therapeu-
tic procedures were left to participating cardiologists’ decision
(12). As an observational protocol, patients did not receive any
experimental intervention or treatment because of their par-
ticipation. Baseline information included patient characteristics,
medical history, presenting symptoms, clinical characteristics,
electrocardiographic ndings, and use of cardiac medications.
Each patient’s hospital course was recorded in detail. All medi-
cations, including doses used before (on admission), in-hospital,
and at the time of discharge, were captured. All available labora-
tory values, including lipid prole, fasting blood sugar, creatinine,
white blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count,
triglyceride, HbA1c, thyroid stimulating hormone, and troponin,
were also recorded. ECG, echocardiography, and coronary an-
giography results were recorded and uploaded to an electronic
data capture program.
Statistical analysis
All analyses were performed using SPSS 18.0 for Windows
(IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), and a P value of less than 0.05 was
considered signicant. Categorical variables were presented as
number and percentage, and were compared using the χ2 test or
Fisher’s exact test between independent groups such as sex and
risk categories. Graphical methods (e.g., histogram and probabil-
ity plot) and analytical methods (e.g., Komogrov-Smirnov test)
were used to assess whether continuous variables have normal
distribution. These variables were given as means ± standard de-
viation or medians and interquartile range, depending on wheth-
er they have normal distribution or not, and were compared us-
ing an independent t test or the Mann-Whitney U test.
Results
A total of 1930 consecutive patients (mean age, 62.0±13.2
years; 26.1 % female) in 50 centers with a diagnosis of acute MI
were prospectively enrolled between November 1 and Novem-
ber 16, 2018. Women were older than men (68.3±12.8 years vs.
59.8±12.6 years). The centers participating in the study and the
number of patients enrolled are shown in Figure 1. Table 1 pres-
ents the baseline clinical characteristics of patients regarding
presence of ST elevation (38.1% STEMI; 61.9% NSTEMI). A total
of 726 (37.6%) patients were admitted to the study centers by re-
ferral from other centers that do not have PCI capability (STEMI:
39.9%, n=288; NSTEMI, 36.6%, n=438).
n=1930
# of centres: 50
# of provinces: 34
Figure 1. Centers participating in the TURKMI study and the number of patients enrolled

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696
46
Table 1. Baseline characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, and clinical history of the TURKMI population
Total NSTEMI STEMI P value*
n=1930 n=1195 n=735
Age, years (median, Q1-Q3) 62 (53-71) 63 (54-72) 60 (51-70) <0.001
Age, year (mean±SD) 62±13.2 63±12.7 60.4±13.8
Female patients, n (%) 504 (26.1) 343 (28.7) 161 (21.9) <0.001
Body mass index (kg/m
2
) (median, Q1-Q3) 27.4 (25-30.8) 27.7 (25.2-31.1) 27.1 (24.78-30.1) 0.071
Risk factors
Hypertension, n (%)
Based on patient’s self-report 955 (49.5) 672 (56.2) 283 (38.5) <0.001
Dyslipidemia, n (%)
Based on patient’s self-report 233 (12.1) 161 (13.5) 72 (9.8) 0.016
Hypercholesterolemia (LDL ≥130 mg/dL or total 875 (60.2) 588 (64.3) 287 (53.1) <0.001
cholesterol ≥200 mg/d or use of LDL-lowering agents)**
Low HDL cholesterol (men: <40 mg/dL; women: <50 mg/dL) 837 (56.6) 523 (56.5) 314 (56.8) 0.928
Elevated triglycerides (≥150 mg/dL) 612 (43.7) 418 (47.6) 194 (37.2) <0.001
Dyslipidemia (Presence of any of the above criteria), n (%) 1333 (88.3) 850 (89.7) 483 (86.1) 0.037
Diabetes, n (%)
Based on patient’s self-report 654 (33.9) 448 (37.5) 206 (28) <0.001
Based on patient’s self-report and/or use of anti-diabetic agents 691 (37.9) 472 (41.6) 219 (31.9) <0.001
Obesity, n (%)
Based on patient’s self-report 112 (5.8) 66 (5.5) 46 (6.3) 0.502
Body mass index ≥30 kg/m
2
497 (28.7) 326 (30.5) 171 (25.8) 0.034
Smoking, n (%) 942 (48.8) 529 (44.3) 413 (56.2) <0.001
Family history of premature CVD, n (%) 188 (9.7) 109 (9.1) 79 (10.7) 0.242
Alcohol, n (%) 46 (2.4) 24 (2) 22 (3) 0.168
History of CVD, n (%)
Coronary involvement (MI and/or CABG and/or PCI) 550 (28.5) 418 (35) 132 (18) <0.001
Myocardial infarction 262 (13.6) 190 (15.9) 72 (9.8) <0.001
Percutaneous coronary intervention 339 (17.6) 258 (21.6) 81 (11) <0.001
Coronary bypass grafting 165 (8.5) 139 (11.6) 26 (3.5) <0.001
Transient ischemic attack or stroke 29 (1.5) 13 (1.1) 16 (2.2) 0.056
Peripheral arterial disease 17 (0.9) 10 (0.8) 7 (1) 0.792
Heart failure 45 (2.3) 35 (2.9) 10 (1.4) 0.027
Atrial brillation 23 (1.2) 16 (1.3) 7 (1) 0.447
Valve surgery 5 (0.3) 5 (0.4) 0 (0) 0.164
Pacemaker/intracardiac debrillator 7 (0.4) 5 (0.4) 2 (0.3) 0.715
Other 25 (1.3) 19 (1.6) 6 (0.8) 0.144
Concomitant disease, n (%)
Cancer 54 (2.8) 30 (2.5) 24 (3.3) 0.329
Thyroid disease 50 (2.6) 30 (2.5) 20 (2.7) 0.777
Renal failure 103 (5.3) 72 (6.0) 31 (4.2) 0.086
Chronic obstructive lung disease 95 (4.9) 68 (5.7) 27 (3.7) 0.047
Asthma 35 (1.8) 24 (2) 11 (1.5) 0.413
History of bleeding 10 (0.5) 7 (0.6) 3 (0.4) 0.750
Connective tissue disease 9 (0.5) 6 (0.5) 3 (0.4) 1.000
Other 142 (7.4) 93 (7.8) 49 (6.7) 0.362
*P value denotes the comparison of STEMI and NSTEMI.
**As there were missing values in both statin use and lipid levels, analysis was conducted by excluding the missing values.
CABG - coronary artery bypass grafting; CVD - cardiovascular disease; HDL - high density lipoproteins; LDL - low density lipoproteins; MI - myocardial infarction; NSTEMI - non-ST
elevation MI; PCI - percutaneous coronary intervention; SD - standard deviation; STEMI - ST elevation MI

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696 47
Patients with NSTEMI were older (p<0.001) (Fig. 2, Table 1).
However, 22.1% of the STEMI and 15.7% of the NSTEMI patients
were younger than 50 years (Fig. 2). Based on the patients’ self-
reporting, half had hypertension and one-third were diabetic.
Hypercholesterolemia based on the total cholesterol, LDL cho-
lesterol levels, or use of anti-lipid agents was present in 60.2%
of the TURKMI population. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension,
and hypercholesterolemia were more common in NSTEMI pa-
tients than STEMI patients, whereas smoking was more com-
mon in STEMI patients than in NSTEMI patients. In both groups,
fewer than 30% were women, and the number of women in the
NSTEMI group was signicantly higher than in the STEMI group
(28.7% vs. 21.9%, p=0.001). History of previous coronary event
was documented in 550 (28.5) of the patients. History of previ-
ous MI, previous coronary artery bypass surgery, or previous PCI
was signicantly higher in NSTEMI patients than in STEMI pa-
tients. In terms of comorbidities, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease was signicantly more common in NSTEMI patients
than in STEMI patients (Table 1).
The primary complaints of the patients admitted with acute
MI were chest pain (95%), dyspnea (17.8%), palpitations (4.1%),
cardiac arrest (1.8%), and syncope (1.7%) (Table 2). Although
the prevalence of chest pain was similar in both groups, more
patients presented with dyspnea or palpitation in the NSTEMI
group than in the STEMI group, whereas cardiac arrest was
signicantly more frequent in the STEMI group (Table 2). Chest
pain was the most common presenting symptom in both wom-
en (95.4%) and men (94.8%) (p=0.580), whereas shortness of
breath (25.8% vs. 15.4%, p<0.001) and palpitation (6.5% vs. 3.3%,
p<0.005) were more common in women. There was no difference
Table 2. Presenting symptoms on admission
All STEMI NSTEMI P value*
Typical chest pain, n (%) 1833 (95) 698 (95) 1135 (95) 0.990
Dyspnea, n (%) 345 (17.9) 112 (15.2) 233 (19.5) 0.018
Palpitation, n (%) 80 (4.1) 22 (3) 58 (4.9) 0.046
Cardiac arrest, n (%) 35 (1.8) 29 (3.9) 6 (0.5) <0.001
Syncope, n (%) 33 (1.7) 17 (2.3) 16 (1.3) 0.109
Other, n (%) 129 (6.7) 53 (7.2) 76 (6.4) 0.467
Pain in left and/or right arm, n (%) 22 (1.1) 9 (1.2) 13 (1.1) 0.784
*P value denotes the comparison of STEMI and NSTEMI.
NSTEMI - non-ST elevation myocardial infarction; STEMI - ST elevation myocardial infarction
Figure 2. The distribution of age groups of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction in Turkey
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.3% 1.1%
2.8%
4.5%
12.6%
16.5%
23.7%
26.0%
28.5%
26.8%
21.7%
15.8%
9.5%
7.6%
0.9% 1.8%
0.0%
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 >90
NSTEMI STEMI

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696
48
in the frequency of chest pain in diabetic and non-diabetic pa-
tients (94.4% vs. 94.2%), but diabetic patients had more symp-
toms of dyspnea than non-diabetic patients (23.7% vs. 14.9%,
p<0.001). Cardiac arrest was also signicantly higher in patients
without diabetes (2.3% vs. 0.9%, p=0.035). The primary symptom
was chest pain when the elderly (>70 years) and younger (≤70
years) patients were compared (94.6% vs. 95.2%, p=0.538). In
the elderly, dyspnea (27.9% vs. 13.7%, p<0.001) and palpitation
(6.0% vs. 3.4%, p=0.009) were signicantly more frequent than in
younger patients.
On admission, both mean systolic and diastolic blood pres-
sure (BP) levels were signicantly higher in NSTEMI patients
compared with STEMI patients (systolic BP: 139±25 mm Hg vs.
127±26 mm Hg, p<0.001; diastolic BP: 81±15 mm Hg vs. 77±16 mm
Hg, p<0.001). The laboratory and ECG ndings of the TURKMI
population are presented in Table 3.
NSTEMI patients were classied according to the European
Society of Cardiology guideline criteria (15) as low risk (29.4%),
moderate risk (34.3%), high risk (33%), and very high risk (3.2%)
at admission. Meanwhile, at the time of admission, 76.3% STEMI
patients were Killip class I, 17.2% were class II, 2.7% were class
III, and 3.7% were class IV (Fig. 3). Patients’ medications on ad-
mission and at the time of discharge are summarized in Table
4. On admission, more NSTEMI patients were on anti-platelets
(aspirin, clopidogrel), beta blockers, calcium antagonists, anti-
lipid agents, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, and anti-diabetic drugs
compared with STEMI patients.
Coronary angiography was performed in 93.7% of the study
population, and PCI was performed in 73.2% at index hospital-
ization. The proportions of coronary angiography and PCI were
signicantly higher in STEMI patients compared with NSTEMI
patients (98.8% vs. 90.5%, p<0.001; 94.4% vs. 60.2%, p<0.001, re-
spectively). Fibrinolytic therapy was administered to only 13 pa-
tients (0.018%).
During the PCI mostly unfractionated heparin was used as an
anticoagulant (96.3% overall; 97.0% in STEMI; 95.7% in NSTEMI).
The use of low molecular weight heparin was exceptionally low.
In 12.4% of the patients, a GPIIb/IIIa inhibitor was used during the
procedure, with use being signicantly higher in patients with
STEMI (18.5% vs. 8.5%). The drugs given at discharge are noted
Table 3. Laboratory and electrocardiographic findings of the TURKMI patients
NSTEMI STEMI Total P value*
Laboratory ndings (Mean±SD)
Blood glucose, mg/dL 128.94±57.51 138.01±64.59 132.31±60.37 0.001
Creatinine 1.17±2.02 1.03±0.72 1.12±1.66 0.019
White blood cell 10.2±3.49 13.45±29.14 11.44±18.25 <0.001
Total cholesterol, mg/dL 194.23±52 193.12±49.73 193.81±51.15 0.499
LDL cholesterol, mg/dL (median 25%–75%) 119 (90.1-148.0) 121 (98-150) 120 (94-149) 0.135
HDL cholesterol, mg/dL 41.42±10.82 40.92±9.76 41.23±10.43 0.543
Triglycerides, mg/dL 171.5±121.17 151.91±119.65 164.15±120.93 <0.001
Electrocardiography ndings on admission
Rhythm, n (%)
Sinus 1083 (90.6) 679 (92.4) 1762 (91.3) 0.185
Atrial brillation/utter 78 (6.5) 33 (4.4) 110 (5.7) 0.046
Pacemaker 5 (0.4) 0 (0) 5 (0.3) 0.164
Ventricular brillation/utter 2 (0.2) 7 (1) 9 (0.5) 0.032
Others 10 (0.8) 13 (1.8) 23 (1.2) 0.067
Rate (pulse/min), median (Q1-Q3) 79 (70-91) 80 (68-92) 79 (69-91) 0.319
New LBBB, n (%) 22 (1.9) 12 (1.7) 34 (1.8) 0.680
New RBBB n (%) 41 (3.5) 27 (3.7) 68 (3.6) 0.846
AV block, n (%) 14 (1.2) 30 (4.2) 44 (2.3) <0.001
ST segment depression in 2 adjacent derivations ≥1 mm, n (%) 362 (31) 467 (64.6) 829 (43.8) <0.001
T wave inversion, n (%) 353 (30.3) 124 (17.2) 477 (25.3) <0.001
Non-specic ST/T changes, n (%) 353 (30.3) 78 (10.9) 431 (22.9) <0.001
*P value denotes the comparison of STEMI and NSTEMI.
AV- atrioventricular block; LBBB - left bundle branch block; HDL - high density lipoprotein; LDL - low density lipoprotein; NSTEMI - non-ST elevation myocardial infarction;
RBBB - right bundle branch block; STEMI - ST elevation myocardial infarction

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696 49
in Table 4. Almost all patients were put on antiplatelet therapy.
Aspirin was prescribed in 99.3% of the patients, and 94% were
on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Among the DAPT drugs
used, clopidogrel was the most preferred drug at 50.5%, followed
by ticagrelor in 40.7% and prasugrel in 3.1%. Beta blockers were
prescribed in 85.0% of patients, anti-lipid drugs in 96.3%, ACE
inhibitors in 58.4%, and angiotensin receptor blockers in 7.9%.
Discussion
The baseline characteristics of the TURKMI study pro-
vided important information regarding clinical characteristics
and the current clinical management of 1930 consecutive pa-
tients admitted to cardiology clinics in Turkey with acute MI
within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. A previous registry
in Turkey, the TUMAR study, enrolled 3358 patients in 1998 and
1999 with the diagnosis of acute MI who were hospitalized in
coronary intensive care units within 24 hours of symptom onset
(11). The TUMAR study covered 52 centers from 23 provinces
for a period of 1 year. Like the TURKMI study, the TURK-AKS
study (16) was designed as a snapshot registry of 1 month, but
the primary limitation was a lack of enrollment of consecu-
tive patients. Similar to the TURKMI registry, this study was
conducted to evaluate patient proles, as well as diagnostic
and practice patterns in acute coronary syndrome in Turkey.
TURKMI enrolled 1930 patients with NSTEMI or STEMI (exclud-
ing unstable angina) within a prespecied 2-week period. The
TURK-AKS study enrolled 3695 participants with acute coro-
nary syndrome, including unstable angina, within a 3-year pe-
riod between 2007 and 2010. However, because the TURK-AKS
study enrolled patients in a non-consecutive way, its level of
representation is expected to be low.
The number of patients in TURKMI registry presenting with
NSTEMI was higher; 6 out of every 10 MIs are NSTEMI. This
proportion of NSTEMI patients (61.9%) was similar to those
observed in the American National Registry of Myocardial In-
farction and English Myocardial Ischemia National Audit Proj-
ect registries (Fig. 4) (17, 18). The proportion of NSTEMI patients
was slightly higher in the Saudi Arabian registry (66%) than in the
TURKMI registry. NSTEMIs constitute 58% of the Algerian and
51% of the French (FAST-MI) registries (6, 7, 19, 20). Meanwhile,
in both the Iranian registry and the Japanese Acute Myocardial
Infarction Registry, the rate of NSTEMI was much lower (27%
and 20%, respectively) (21, 22).
The mean age of the TURKMI population was 62±13 years.
Patients with STEMI were signicantly younger than the patients
with NSTEMI, which might be explained by the higher rates of
collaterals in older patients. TURKMI patients were similar in age
compared with Iranian (21), Mexican (23), and Algerian (20) MI
patients at the time of the index MI (Fig. 5), whereas the average
MI age was younger (56 years) in Saudi Arabian MI patients (19).
TURKMI patients experienced MI at younger ages compared
with patients in other countries, including France (6, 7), Switzer-
land (24), the United Kingdom (18), and Japan (Fig. 6) (22). This is
most likely associated with the high prevalence of dyslipidemias
and smoking in Turkey. Moreover, the high prevalence of con-
sanguinity probably has an important contribution to earlier MIs
in Turkey (25).
Evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors revealed that hy-
percholesterolemia, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes were
the most prevalent risk factors in patients presenting with MI
in Turkey, as stated in previous analysis (26). The prevalence of
smoking was signicantly higher than the registries of France
(36%), the United States (31%), and England (29%) (6, 7, 17, 18).
TURKMI harbors higher smoking rate, with almost half of the MI
population being current smokers.
The primary complaint was chest pain regardless of the type
of MI, sex, age, and presence of diabetes. In the TURKMI study,
the proportion of chest pain was 95% compared with 80% in the
FAST-MI registry. This difference is probably due to typical chest
pain being used as an inclusion criterion in the FAST-MI regis-
try (6, 7). Similar to the FAST-MI study, cardiac arrest was more
common in patients with STEMI, and shortness of breath was
more prevalent in NSTEMIs in the TURKMI study. This is likely
because the NSTEMI group had a higher proportion of women,
Figure 3. (a) Risk classication of patients with NSTEMI. (b) Killip
classication of patients with STEMI
40
30
20
10
Low risk
29.4
34.3
3.2
33
Moderate risk Very high riskHigh risk
0
NSTEMI
a
100
60
80
40
20
Killip I
76.3
17.2
2.7 3.7
Killip II Killip IVKillip III
0
STEMI
b

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696
50
previous MI, and heart failure. As expected, because of the
high proportion of previous cardiovascular disease, the use of
aspirin or other anti-platelets, beta blockers, and lipid lowering
therapies was prevalent in patients presenting with NSTEMI on
admission.
TURKMI revealed that guideline-recommended cardivascu-
lar medication at discharge is acceptable for many drugs, and
that compliance was better than that seen in other national reg-
istries. At discharge, almost all patients were on aspirin therapy
(99.3%), and 94% were on DAPT. The European Society of Car-
diology guideline recommends ticagrelor or prasugrel in pref-
erence to clopidogrel as second antiplatelet agents for DAPT.
These 3 antiplatelet agents are reimbursed in Turkey. However,
other than aspiring, the most common drugs prescribed were
Table 4. Medications on admission and prescribed at discharge
Total NSTEMI STEMI P value*
Medications on admission, n (%)
Antiplatelet agents
Acetyl salicylic acid 534 (29.8) 395 (35.3) 139 (20.7) <0.001
Clopidogrel 208 (11.6) 168 (15) 40 (6) <0.001
Ticagrelor 26 (1.5) 18 (1.6) 8 (1.2) 0.475
Prasugrel 3 (0.2) 2 (0.2) 1 (0.1) -
†
Beta blockers 397 (22.2) 311 (27.8) 86 (12.8) <0.001
Calcium antagonists 243 (13.6) 170 (15.2) 73 (10.9) 0.010
Nitrates 70 (3.9) 64 (5.7) 6 (0.9) <0.001
Anti-lipid agents 256 (14.3) 203 (18.2) 53 (7.9) <0.001
ACE inhibitors 284 (15.9) 205 (18.3) 79 (11.8) <0.001
Medications prescribed at discharge, n (%)
Antiplatelet agents
Acetyl salicylic acid 1830 (99.3) 1141 (99) 689 (99.9) 0.038
Clopidogrel 930 (50.5) 689 (59.8) 241 (34.9) <0.001
Ticagrelor 750 (40.7) 354 (30.7) 396 (57.4) <0.001
Prasugrel 58 (3.1) 22 (1.9) 36 (5.2) <0.001
Dual antiplatelet therapy 1731 (94) 1059 (91.9) 672 (97.4) <0.001
Anticoagulant agents 68 (3.5) 53 (4.4) 15 (2)
Warfarin 28 (1.5) 21 (1.8) 7 (1)
Dabigatran 7 (0.4) 6 (0.5) 1 (0.1) 0.270
Rivaroxaban 9 (0.5) 6 (0.5) 3 (0.4) 1,000
Apiksaban 20 (1.1) 17 (1.4) 3 (0.4) 0.040
Edoxaban 4 (0.2) 3 (0.3) 1 (0.1) -
†
Beta blockers 1544 (85.0) 965 (84.5) 579 (85.9) 0.418
Calcium antagonists 246 (13.5) 192 (16.8) 54 (8.0) <0.001
Anti-lipid agents 1756 (96.3) 1103 (96.2) 653 (96.3) 0.944
Diuretics 298 (16.4) 204 (17.9) 94 (13.9) 0.029
ACE inhibitors 1061 (58.4) 645 (56.5) 416 (61.7) 0.029
Angiotension receptor blockers 144 (7.9) 103 (9.0) 41 (6.1) 0.025
Digitalis 9 (0.5) 7 (0.6) 2 (0.3) 0.498
Anti-arrhythmic agents 24 (1.3) 16 (1.4) 8 (1.2) 0.700
Nitrates 152 (8.4) 124 (10.9) 28 (4.2) <0.001
Anti-diabetic agents 208 (11.5) 145 (12.7) 63 (9.3) 0.030
*P value denotes the comparison of STEMI and NSTEMI.
†
Not analyzed.
ACE - angiotension converting enzyme; NSTEMI - non-ST elevation myocardial infarction; STEMI - ST elevation myocardial infarction

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696 51
clopidogrel (50.5%) and by ticagrelor (40.7%). Only 3.1% of the
patients were on prasugrel. Most patients (96.3%) were on lipid
lowering treatment at the time of discharge.
Study limitations
As stated in the rationale and design paper (12), TURKMI har-
bors the same major drawbacks of registries in general. In addi-
tion, the number of centers (n=50) could be considered a limi-
tation. However, this number was selected because of budget
restrictions. The number of centers in each EurNUTS region was
determined proportional to the population to represent the Turk-
ish people appropriately. Also, we selected hospitals capable of
PCI, assuming that nearly all acute MI patients would eventually
be directed to these centers. Otherwise, we would have miss-
ing values for patients who were transferred to other centers.
Of note, coronary angiography units and interventional cardiolo-
gists are available in all provinces and most major towns in Tur-
key (27). Therefore, all patients with acute MI in all geographical
regions in the country could reach cardiology centers with the
capability of performing coronary angiography and percutane-
ous procedures within 1 hour. Therefore, with the assumption
that all acute MI patients, including those who rst presented
to non-PCI centers, would be admitted or transferred to PCI-
capable centers in the index region, all patients admitted within
the rst 48 hours of symptom onset were included. In contrast
to previous registries in Turkey, we enrolled patients consecu-
tively within a prespecied 2-week period, which also increases
the level of representation of MI patients in Turkey. However,
this type of enrollment might preclude obtaining information re-
garding seasonal variations of MI (28). Moreover, enrolling only
patients presenting alive to cardiology centers will also lead to
a bias of exclusion of those who cannot admit to care centers
(death, elderly, bedridden, etc.).
Conclusion
The nation-wide TURKMI study outlined the characteris-
tics of patients admitted with acute MI within 48 hours of the
onset of symptoms to the selected cardiology centers capable
of PCI in Turkey. Turkish MI patients were more likely to have
dyslipidemia, diabetes, and smoking history and were younger
compared with patients in European Countries. TURKMI also
conrmed that current treatment guidelines have largely been
adopted into clinical cardiology practice in Turkey in terms of
antiplatelet, anti-ischemic, and anti-lipid therapy.
Acknowledgments: TURKMI is an investigator-initiated study spon-
sored by the Turkish Society of Cardiology that receives major funding
from Astra-Zeneca Company for this project.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Peer-review: Externally peer-reviewed.
Authorship contributions: Concept – M.K.E., M.Kayıkçıoğlu,
M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ., E.Örnek, R.A., N.A.,
U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T., A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.; Design – M.K.E.,
M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ.,
E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T., A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.;
Supervision – M.K.E., M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G.,
E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ., E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T., A.D., M.Y.,
M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.; Fundings – M.K.E., M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A.,
İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ., E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D.,
Figure 4. NSTEMI rates (%) in TURKMI and other country’s registries
0
10
20 51 61
20
60
43 27
58 66 62
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
FAST MI
France
MINAP
England
JAMIR
Japan
NRMI
USA
RENSICA
II
Mexico
IRAN
AMI
REGISTRY
ALGERIA
REGISTRY
STARS-1
Saudi
Arabia
TURK MI
NSTEMI STEMI
Figure 5. Mean age in TURKMI verses other acute myocardial
infarction registries
52
54
56 56
58
60
62 62 62 61
64
66 66
63
68 68 68 67
70
50
FAST MI
France
MINAP
England
SCAAR
Swiss
JAMIR
Japan
RENSICA
II
Mexico
IRAN
AMI
REGISTRY
ALGERIA
REGISTRY
STARS-1
Saudi
Arabia
TURK MI
Figure 6. Percentage of women enrolled in TURKMI and other registries
45%
40%
41%
35% 34%
30%
25% 23% 23%
25%
28% 28% 27% 26%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
FAST MI
France
MINAP
England
SCAAR
Swiss
JAMIR
Japan
RENSICA
II
Mexico
IRAN
AMI
REGISTRY
ALGERIA
REGISTRY
TURK MI
NRMI
USA

Erol et al.
Characteristics of patients in the TURKMI cohort
Anatol J Cardiol 2020; 24: 43-53
DOI:10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2020.69696
52
H.T., A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.; Materials – M.K.E., M.Kayıkçıoğlu,
M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ., E.Örnek, R.A., N.A.,
U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T., A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.; Data collection
and/or processing – M.K.E., M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K.,
İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ., E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T.,
A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.; Analysis and/or interpretation – M.K.E.,
M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ.,
E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T., A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.;
Literature search – M.K.E., M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A.,
Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ., E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T., A.D.,
M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.; Writing – M.K.E., M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap,
C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ., E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S.,
M.D., H.T., A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.; Critical review – M.K.E.,
M.Kayıkçıoğlu, M.Kılıçkap, C.B.A., İ.H.K., İ.A., Y.G., E.Özkan, T.Ş., O.İ.,
E.Örnek, R.A., N.A., U.Z., Ü.Y.S., M.D., H.T., A.D., M.Y., M.A., O.S.D., M.U.S.
TURKMI STUDY GROUP: Abant Izzet Baysal University: Mehmet
Inanir, Osman Yasin Yalçin, Yilmaz Gunes; Adana City Hospital: Ibrahim
Halil Kurt, Omer Genc, Abdullah Yildirim; Adiyaman University: Ramazan
Asoglu; Aksaray University: Sinan Inci; Ankara NumuneTraining and Re-
search Hospital: Ender Ornek, Mustafa Cetin, Emrullah Kiziltunc; Ankara
University: Mustafa Kilickap; Ankara Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Re-
search Hospital: Cagrı Yayla, Ahmet Goktuğ Ertem, Mehmet Kadri Akbo-
ga; Antalya Training and Research Hospital : Ahmet Genc, Gulsum Meral
Yılmaz Oztekin; Batman State Hospital: Mesut Gitmez; Bursa Yuksek
Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital; Burcu Tuncay, Veysi Can, Hasan
Ari; Bulent Ecevit University: Fatih Pasa Tatar, Mustafa Umut Somuncu;
Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University; Emine Gazi; Cukurova University;
Cuma Yeşildas, Onur Sinan Deveci; Denizli State Hospital: Okan Er; Di-
yarbakir Gazi Yasargil Training and Research Hospital: Onder Ozturk;
Ege University: Aytac Candemir, Meral Kayikçioglu, Oguz Yavuzgil; Elazıg
Training and Research Hospital: Cetin Mirzaoğlu; Erzincan Binali Yildirim
University: Eftal Murat Bakirci, Husnu Degirmenci; Harran University:
Feyzullah Besli; Istanbul Bagcılar Training and Research Hospital: Orhan
Ince, Emirhan Hancıoglu; Istanbul Bakirkoy Sadi Konuk Training and
Research Hospital: Ibrahim Faruk Akurk, Ersan Oar, Nihan Turhan Ça-
glar; Istanbul Bezmi Alem University: Hatice Aylin Yamac Halac; Istanbul
Haseki Training and Research Hospital: Muhsin Kalyoncuoglu; Istanbul
Kartal Kosuyolu Training and Research Hospital: Ismail Balaban, Mesut
Karatas, Cevat Kirma; Istanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Training and Research
Hospital: Arda Guler, Cemil Can, Arda Can Dogan, Ahmet Arif Yalcin; Is-
tanbul International Sisli Kolan Hospital: Mustafa Kemal Erol; Istanbul
Siyami Ersek Training and Research Hospital: Can Baba Arin; Istanbul
University Cardiology Institute; Umit Yasar Sinan; Izmir Tepecik Training
and Research Hospital: Murat Kücükokur, Oner Ozdogan; Kahramanma-
ras Sutcu Imam University: Ekrem Aksu, Hakan Günes; Kayseri Training
and Research Hospital: Ziya Simsek, Eyüp Ozkan; Kırıkkale Yuksek Ihtisas
Training and Research Hospital: Cengiz Sabanoğlu, Yunus Celik; Kutahya
Health Science University: Taner Sen, Mehmet Ali Astarcıoglu; Malatya
Training and Research Hospital: Ibrahim Aktas, Gokhan Gozubuyuk; Mar-
mara University: Mustafa Kursat Tigen, Murat Sunbul; Mersin Univer-
sity: Ayça Arslan, Ahmet Celik; Mustafa Kemal University: Oguz Akkus;
Necmettin Erbakan University: Yakup Alsancak; Osmangazi University:
Muhammet Dural, Kadir Ugur Mert; Mugla Yucelen Hospital: Nuri Kose;
Pamukkale University: Ismail Dogu Kiliç; Recep Tayyip Erdogan Univer-
sity: Nadir Emlek; Sakarya University: Ibrahim Kocayigit; Samsun Train-
ing and Research Hospital: Ahmet Yanik, Mustafa Yenerçag; Trabzon Ahi
Evran Training and Research Hospital: Omer Faruk Çitrakoglu, Ihsan Dur-
sun; Trakya University: Utku Zeybey, Servet Altay; Urfa Mehmet Akif Inan
Training and Research Hospital: Sadettin Selcuk Baysal; Van Training
and Research Hospital: Nesim Aladag, Remzi Sarikaya, Ramazan Duz;
Van Yuzuncu Yil University: Mustafa Tuncer, Hasim Tuner; Yalova State
Hospital: Ismail Ungan, Yildirim Beyazit University: Bilge Duran Karadu-
man, Engin Bozkurt.
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