by
Lynn Shapiro, Writer | January 21, 2009
- The results for men, women and African Americans paralleled the study's overall results.
- There was some evidence of possible race-related differences between whites and African Americans in new Q-waves and the percent of decline in confirmed heart attacks, which dropped more in whites.
- The percentage of patients who arrived at the hospital in less than two hours after symptom onset remained at approximately 33 percent; there was no significant change over the study time period.
-These new findings demonstrate that there has been a decrease in heart attack severity and an increased survival among first-time heart attack sufferers; both of which can help to explain the decline in deaths from coronary heart disease.
"The reduction in severity of first-time heart attacks, along with other factors, has impacted on the declining number of deaths from coronary heart disease" Myerson said. "This tells us that better primary prevention as well as better care for those with acute heart attacks is working. Attributing the reduction in severity to specific causes will be an important next step so effective strategies can be reinforced and public health policies can be better directed."
Source: American Heart Association
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