Lower decrease in HIF-1α levels—as an indication for minor blunting—predicted better composite outcome of all-cause mortality, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), pneumonia, mediastinitis, acute dialysis or reoperation for bleeding during index hospitalizaton (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21–0.84) and at 3mo follow-up (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.26–0.98) in a multivariable logistic regression model including age and gender as covariates in the overall series and in the PSM cohort. The gene discussed is HIF1A; the disease is mediastinitis.