Incidence and Demographic Trends for Acute Coronary Syndrome in a Non-Epidemic Area During the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in Japan ― A 2-Institutional Observational Study ―

Yasuda, Yu; Ishiguchi, Hironori; Ishikura, Masahiro; Yoshida, Masaaki; Imoto, Koji; Sonoyama, Kazuhiko; Kawabata, Tetsuya; Okamura, Takayuki; Endo, Akihiro; Kobayashi, Shigeki; Tanabe, Kazuaki; Yano, Masafumi; Oda, Tsuyoshi

Background: We investigated the incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a non-epidemic area of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Japan. Methods and Results: This observational study included consecutive patients admitted for ACS at 2 tertiary hospitals in Izumo City during the pandemic in Japan (n=42, March–July 2020). Although the monthly ACS incidence was comparable, the proportions of delayed admissions and high Killip class (III/IV) were significantly higher in this population than in historical cohorts (n=197, 2015–2019). Conclusions: Our findings stress the importance of encouraging patients with ACS-related symptoms to visit medical services promptly, especially in non-epidemic areas.