The incidence and outcomes of high-risk acute coronary syndromes in Western Cape Province, South Africa: A prospective cohort study

Background Tygerberg Hospital (TBH) is a tertiary-level hospital in Western Cape Province, South Africa, that provides healthcare to a large low- to middle-income population with services including centralised advanced cardiac care. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains an important cause of death in the region despite a high burden of communicable diseases, including HIV.Objectives To describe the incidence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and high-risk non-ST-elevation ACS (HR-NSTEACS) in the TBH referral network, describe the in-hospital and 30-day mortality of these patients, and identify important high-risk population characteristics.Methods The Tygerberg Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry database is an ongoing prospective study that enrols all STEMI and HR-NSTEACS patients in the TBH referral network. All patients aged >18 years presenting with STEMI or HR-NSTEACS were treated in accordance with current European Society of Cardiology guidelines and were included prospectively over a 9-month surveillance period. A waiver of consent was granted to include patients who died before giving informed consent. Data collected included a demographic profile, risk factors for cardiovascular disease, in-hospital therapy and 30-day mortality.Results A total of 586 patients were enrolled, with a male predominance (64.5%) and incidence rates of STEMI and HR-NSTEACS of 14.7 per 100 000 and 15.6 per 100 000, respectively. The mean patient age was 58 years, and STEMI patients tended to be younger than HR-NSTEACS patients (56 v. 58 years; p=0.01). Cardiovascular risk factors were prevalent overall, but hypertension (79.8% v. 68.3%; p