Acute Heart Attack Hospitalizations Drop for Older Adults

Acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations among Medicare patients has dropped significantly between 2002 and 2007, according to Yale researchers. The first author of the study, published in the March 23 issue of the journal Circulation, was Yale cardiologist Dr. Jersey Chen. An article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and later in the Wall Street Journal [April 6, 2010] indicates that the rate is dropped approximately 5.8% yearly with an overall reduction of 23% between 2002 and 2007. Based on previous data, researchers estimated that between 2002 and 2007, there would be 416,697 Medicare admissions for acute myocardial infarction. However, there were actually 319,063, or 97k fewer than anticipated.

Yale cardiologist and principal investigator of the study, Dr. Harlan Krumholz, cautioned that while these findings are indeed breathtaking, "there are still people out there whose risk factors are unknown or not treated" (Winslow, 2010, pp. D1). He and others who participated in the study believe that the drop is related to cardiovascular health initiatives implemented during the last twenty years that include quit smoking campaigns, exercise, healthy diets, blood pressure medicines, improved in-hospital care for heart attack patients, and lowering cholesterol efforts with the use of statin drugs.

Researchers agree that these gains could be reversed with the increase in the older population as Baby Boomers enter older adulthood, epidemic obesity, diabetes, untreated depression, and caregivers ignoring their health.

Winslow, R. (2010, April 6). Some success fighting heart disease. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D1, D5.