EAPCI Summit Research Explores Why Expanding Access to Primary PCI Has Not Uniformly Lowered Death Rates

EAPCI Summit Research Explores Why Expanding Access to Primary PCI Has Not Uniformly Lowered Death Rates

(IN BRIEF) Data presented at EAPCI Summit 2026 analysing 21 European countries found no significant link between higher national rates of primary PCI procedures and reduced mortality following myocardial infarction, suggesting that access alone does not determine outcomes. The research identified socioeconomic conditions, cardiovascular disease prevalence, treatment timing, and operator experience as influential factors that may better explain variations in survival, while ongoing analyses aim to clarify differences between healthcare systems and clinical practices. The results support continued optimisation of care delivery alongside stronger prevention strategies to address the growing complexity and burden of cardiovascular disease across Europe.

(PRESS RELEASE) SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, 20-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ —New research presented at the EAPCI Summit 2026 in Munich suggests that increasing the number of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures across Europe has not, in itself, translated into lower mortality rates following acute myocardial infarction. The findings highlight the complexity of cardiovascular care delivery and point to the need for a broader focus on prevention, treatment pathways, and system-level factors.

Primary PCI is widely regarded as a critical, life-saving intervention used to rapidly restore blood flow after a heart attack. The minimally invasive procedure involves reopening blocked coronary arteries, typically through the placement of a stent delivered via catheterisation from the wrist or groin. Despite its recognised clinical importance, researchers found no clear relationship between higher national PCI volumes and reduced death rates in their initial analysis.

The study examined data spanning 21 European countries, drawing on the ESC Atlas of Cardiology and the ESC Atlas in Interventional Cardiology, alongside datasets from the World Health Organization, Eurostat, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. These sources provided a comprehensive overview of cardiovascular disease burden, risk factors, treatment patterns, and outcomes across the region. Researchers evaluated how the number of PCI procedures performed per million inhabitants related to age-standardised mortality from myocardial infarction, while adjusting for variables such as cardiovascular disease prevalence and national economic indicators.

Economic context emerged as an important factor. Countries with higher gross domestic product per capita tended to show lower mortality from myocardial infarction, while nations with greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease experienced higher death rates. After accounting for these influences, the analysis identified a moderate positive correlation between PCI procedure rates and mortality, an observation researchers stress should not be interpreted as causal but rather as an indication that other determinants may be shaping outcomes.

Further evaluation revealed a weak trend suggesting that higher procedural volumes per interventional cardiologist may be linked to lower mortality, underscoring the potential importance of operator experience and specialisation. Investigators indicated that additional analyses will explore variables such as treatment delays between symptom onset and intervention, differences in clinical practice among centres, and broader structural variations between healthcare systems.

The research team emphasised that the rising prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors across populations is increasing the clinical complexity of patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes. As a result, procedural success and outcomes may depend not only on access to PCI but also on expertise, multidisciplinary coordination, and earlier prevention strategies aimed at reducing disease incidence.

These findings are expected to inform ongoing European efforts to refine cardiovascular treatment pathways while reinforcing the central role of prevention in addressing the long-term burden of heart disease.

SOURCE: European Society of Cardiology (ESC)