Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41003766›Full record

SynthesisHerz2026

HEART vs. GRACE scores for 30-day cardiovascular outcomes in acute chest pain : A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Peng-Fei Nie, Jun Chen, Huan-Tong Li

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Herz, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Peng-Fei NieDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Guangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Guangzhou, China, 510800.
Jun ChenDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology Hospital, Shenzhen, China, 518000.
Huan-Tong LiDepartment of Ultrasound Medicine, Guangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, 510800, Guangzhou, China. 729867102@qq.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAcute chest pain is a common emergency department (ED) presentation requiring rapid risk stratification for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; including death, myocardial infarction, and urgent revascularization). While the HEART (History, ECG, Age, Risk factors, Troponin) and GRACE scores are widely used, their comparative predictive accuracy for short-term MACE remains unclear. This study aimed to directly compare the diagnostic performance of HEART and GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) in predicting 30-day MACE among ED patients with acute chest pain.

methodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to May 2025 for prospective cohort studies directly comparing HEART and GRACE scores. Included studies applied both scores at ED presentation, reported 30-day MACE (death, myocardial infarction, urgent revascularization), and provided data for 2 × 2 contingency tables. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios (PLR/NLR), diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated using a bivariate random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed via I

resultsIn total, 19 studies (14,862 patients) were included. The HEART score demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity (0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.98 vs. 0.88, 95% CI: 0.85-0.91; ratio: 1.09 [1.05-1.14]) and lower negative likelihood ratio (NLR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03-0.17 vs. 0.42, 95% CI: 0.39-0.46) than the GRACE score. Specificity was lower for HEART (0.50, 95% CI: 0.41-0.60) versus GRACE (0.61, 95% CI: 0.58-0.64), while GRACE showed higher specificity. HEART also had superior discriminative power (AUC: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.77-0.84 vs. 0.72, 95% CI: 0.69-0.75; ratio: 1.11 [1.07-1.15]). Subgroup analyses confirmed HEART's advantage in sensitivity across geographic regions and age groups, particularly in Eastern populations (sensitivity ratio: 1.57 [1.27-1.93]).

conclusionThe HEART score outperforms GRACE in sensitivity and rule-out capability (lower NLR) for 30-day MACE in ED patients with acute chest pain, supporting its utility for safe discharge of low-risk individuals. GRACE's higher specificity may aid in identifying high-risk cases requiring intervention. Standardization of troponin assays and MACE definitions is critical for future implementation.

Indexed as

Chest PainMyocardial InfarctionFemaleHumansMalePrognosisRisk AssessmentSensitivity and SpecificityEmergency departmentMajor adverse cardiovascular eventsPrognostic accuracyRisk stratificationRule-out

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.