Objective:We compared the clinical outcomes between β-blocker with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without left ventricular systolic dysfunction.Methods:A total of 750 patients who were diagnosed as AMI without left ventricular systolic dysfunction and successfully received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital from October 2016 to September 2017 were collected retrospectively. We divided the patients into two groups: β-blocker + ACEI group (BB+ ACEI group, n=666) and β-blocker + ARB group (BB+ ARB group, n=84) according to discharge medications. The clinical datas were gathered and the end-point events were followed up. K-M curve was used to describe cumulative survival rate of the two groups. We used Cox regression analysis to compare the clinical outcomes of the two groups. Results:The occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (8.3% vs 3.4%, HR=2.377, 95% CI: 1.006-5.616, P=0.048), all-cause death (3.6% vs 0.4%, HR=12.951, 95% CI: 1.947-86.159, P=0.008) and non-fatal myocardial infarction (3.6% vs 0.8%, HR=5.231, 95% CI: 1.193-22.934, P=0.028) in the BB+ ARB group was significantly higher than those in the BB+ ACEI group followed up for 13 months. However, there was no difference between the two groups in the incidence of stroke (1.2% vs 1.4%, HR=0.922, 95% CI: 0.117-7.276, P=0.516) and target vessel revascularization (3.6% vs 1.6%, HR=1.607, 95% CI: 0.384-6.729, P=0.516). The cumulative survival rate of BB+ ACEI group was higher than that of BB+ ARB group, with statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with β-blocker combined with ARB, β-blocker combined with ACEI are more beneficial to reduce the incidence of MACCE, all-cause death and non-fatal myocardial infarction in AMI patients without left ventricular systolic dysfunction after PCI.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of statins combined with PCSK9 inhibitors on coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque, as well as to verify the lipid-lowering effect of the combined therapy.Methods:A computerized search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI databases was conducted to retrieve published literature from inception to December 20, 2022. The English search terms utilized included "PCSK9 inhibitors," "Alirocumab," "Evolocumab," "plaque," "IVUS," and "OCT." The corresponding Chinese search terms were "PCSK9 inhibitors," "plateau," "intravascular ultrasound," and "optical coherence tomography." The literature that examined the effect of statins alone or in combination with PCSK9 inhibitors on coronary atherosclerotic plaques using intravascular ultrasound or optical coherence tomography was identified. The collected data were subsequently processed using Review Manager (Revman) version 5.4.Results:In the final analysis, nine studies involving 1912 patients were included. The analysis results revealed that compared with statins alone, statins combined with PCSK9 inhibitors significantly reduced the percentage of atherosclerotic volume ( MD: -2.08 mm 3, 95% CI: -2.94 to -1.23 mm 3, P < 0.001), accelerated the regression of atherosclerotic volume ( MD: -1.13 mm 3, 95% CI: -1.49 to -0.77 mm 3, P < 0.001), slightly, but not significantly, reduced the overall atherosclerotic volume ( MD: -6.42 mm 3, 95% CI: -14.34-1.51 mm 3, P = 0.110). Nevertheless, the combined therapy contributed to a significant reduction in atherosclerotic volume ( MD: -5.16 mm 3, 95% CI: -7.09 to -3.23 mm 3, P < 0.001) and significantly increased the fiber cap thickness of thin cap plaques ( MD: 8.46 μm, 95% CI: 5.13-11.79 μm, P < 0.001). Additionally, this combined therapy significantly lowered blood lipid levels. Conclusion:The combination of statins and PCSK9 inhibitors can significantly improve the characteristics and phenotype of atherosclerotic plaques and significantly reduce blood lipid levels. For patients with high cardiovascular risk, it is recommended to initiate treatment with statins combined with PCSK9 inhibitors as soon as possible and maintain it for a long time to ensure more benefits.