Heart attacks in older patients, women, those living in rural and remote places and those with a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction needs more focus to improve its long-term survival rates.
Heart attack means an area of damaged and dying heart muscle caused by an interruption in the blood supply due to doctors' ability to diagnose and treat smaller, less deadly heart attacks and the institution of specialized coronary care units are more equipped. Recent population assessment published in the medical journal of Australia is the first study to evaluate long term survival after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in all patients admitted to Australian and New Zealand public and most private hospitals with an AMI between 2009 and 2015.
“A total of 120 155 patients (50.2%) underwent revascularisation (STEMI, 72.2%; NSTEMI, 42.1%); 7-year survival exceeded 80% for patients in each group who underwent revascularisation, and was lower than 45% for those who did not,” the authors, led by Dr Bora Nadlacki, wrote.
Results of the study show that 7-year survival is greater than 80% for patients aged under 65 years and for those who underwent revascularisation and the survival rate was poorer for older patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and lower revascularisation rates.
As angiograms and revascularisation rates decline with age, clinicians were reluctant to pursue an early invasive approach in older patients but the potential for absolute risk reduction with therapy is greatest for these patients makes the treatment of older people with AMI as suboptimal.
Apart from this, lack of data in older age group and improper NSTEMI treatment pathway and guidelines make treatment choice complicate for older population.
such disparities are seen in treating women patients as they don’t present typical signs of heart attack like in men and the location of the patient also influences the treatment outcome.
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