Volume 106, Issue 1 pp. 223-232
REVIEW

Invasive Versus Conservative Strategies in Older Adults With Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Aman Goyal

Corresponding Author

Aman Goyal

Department of Internal Medicine, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India

Correspondence: Aman Goyal ([email protected])

Wael AlJaroudi ([email protected])

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Aqsa Shoaib

Aqsa Shoaib

Department of Internal Medicine, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan

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Muhammad Taha Khan

Muhammad Taha Khan

Department of Internal Medicine, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan

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Najwa Salim

Najwa Salim

Department of Internal Medicine, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan

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Izma Ajaz

Izma Ajaz

Department of Internal Medicine, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan

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Areeba Fareed

Areeba Fareed

Department of Internal Medicine, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan

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Samia Aziz Sulaiman

Samia Aziz Sulaiman

School of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

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Abu Baker Sheikh

Abu Baker Sheikh

Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

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Wael AlJaroudi

Corresponding Author

Wael AlJaroudi

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wellstar MCG Health, Augusta, Georgia, USA

Correspondence: Aman Goyal ([email protected])

Wael AlJaroudi ([email protected])

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First published: 15 April 2025

Aman Goyal and Aqsa Shoaib are shared first authors and contributed equally to the manuscript.

ABSTRACT

Non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) is a common condition among older adults. However, due to frailty and comorbidities, older adults are often underrepresented in clinical trials, making the decision between an invasive or conservative approach for optimal management controversial. Our meta-analysis seeks to address this issue by focusing exclusively on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic database literature search was conducted via PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify RCTs comparing invasive and conservative management strategies in older adults with NSTE-ACS. Data on unplanned revascularization, myocardial infarction (MI), bleeding, all-cause mortality, composite of major adverse outcomes, and stroke were extracted and pooled. Random-effects models to calculate pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were analyzed using the Review Manager software. A total of seven RCTs and a total of 2997 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The invasive approach demonstrated a lower risk of unplanned revascularization (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.55; p < 0.00001; I² = 28%) and MI (RR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.94; p = 0.01; I² = 34%). No significant differences were found for major bleeding episodes (RR: 1.40; 95% CI: 0.93, 2.14; p = 0.11), all-cause mortality (RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.12; p = 0.49), composite of major adverse events (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.73, 1.05; p = 0.14) and risk of stroke (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.59, 1.20; p = 0.34) between the two strategies. Our findings reveal that, in older adults with NSTE-ACS, an invasive strategy reduces the risk of subsequent MI and unplanned revascularization. However, no significant differences in mortality, bleeding, or stroke were observed between the two groups.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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