Prognostic Significance of CMR-Confirmed Infarct in MINOCA Patients from Sweden and Australia

Plain-language summary

Myocardial Infarction (MI) with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries (MINOCA), occurring in 6-8% of MIs, refers to patients who experience a heart attack without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) or significant atherosclerosis. One of the challenges inherent to MINOCA lies in its propensity to mimic non-coronary-related pathologies, such as myocarditis or takotsubo. Thus, Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (MRI) imaging has been recommended as the central diagnostic tool for confirming MINOCA diagnosis while excluding the others. However, the resource-intensive nature of MRI, combined with its limited availability in hospitals, poses barriers to patient access and limits research activities that could produce significant impact. Therefore, this project's aim is to curate the largest dataset of suspected MINOCA patients with MRI, via a collaboration between Sweden's nationwide registry and South Australia's state-wide registry, to answer the following key questions: (i) What is prognosis of MINOCA, as confirmed by MRI? (ii) What are the characteristics and prognosis of patients who had MRI compared to those who did not? (iii) What clinical parameters are associated with MINOCA on MRI? This project will utilize DataSHIELD, an innovative platform that enables pooled statistical analysis of sensitive data without compromising individual-level privacy. This multicentre, comprehensive study will have a major impact on contemporary practice. It will be able to provide the significance of MINOCA diagnosis (myocardial scar on MRI), alongside identifying clinical factors associated with its occurrence and its correlation with long-term outcomes. This is crucial for informing clinical guidelines, policy decisions around reimbursement for MRI, and developing effective clinical trials to enhance the management of MRI-confirmed MINOCA patients

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