Improving long-term survival of patients with acute myocardial infarction from 1977-1988 in a region of Denmark

C Torp-Pedersen, P Hildebrandt, L Køber, F E Nielsen, G Jensen, T Melchior, T Joen, V Ringsdal, U Nielsen, M Ege

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    Abstract

    The aim of this investigation was to study secular trends in long-term survival following myocardial infarction (MI). Five thousand one hundred and fifty-seven consecutive cases of MI in 3942 patients were recorded in a well-defined region in the study period 1977-1988. The study period ended before thrombolytic therapy was introduced in the hospital. One and 5-year survival (+/- 95% confidence limits) was 61 +/- 2% and 42 +/- 2% in 1977-1980. These figures changed to 61 +/- 2% and 44 +/- 2% in 1981-1984, and to 64 +/- 2 and 46 +/- 2% in 1985-1988. The improvement with time was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In a Cox proportional hazard model, time of infarction was an independent predictor of survival. Patients were subdivided into a high risk group suffering from either congestive heart failure or cardiac arrest during hospitalization, and a low risk group without these complications. Year of infarction was without importance in the high risk group but highly significant in the low risk group. Long-term survival following MI gradually improved prior to the introduction of thrombolytic therapy. The improvement was confined to low risk patients without cardiac arrest or congestive heart failure.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalEuropean Heart Journal
    Volume16
    Issue number1
    Pages (from-to)14-20
    Number of pages6
    ISSN0195-668X
    Publication statusPublished - 1995

    Bibliographical note

    Keywords: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Denmark; Humans; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Proportional Hazards Models; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Survival Rate; Thrombolytic Therapy

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