Gender Gap in Myocardial Infarction Mortality Decreases Over Past 20 Years

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dragana Radovanovic, MD 

Head of AMIS Plus Data Center
Hirschengraben Zürich

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: What we know so far? When a woman suffers a heart attack she is older, has consequently more cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, has more comorbidities, is less likely to receive the same therapies and more likely to die in hospital. Furthermore, we know from many hospital statistics and administrative data bases that in-hospital mortality of acute myocardial infarction patients has been on the decrease from 1970 to the early 2000’s. We then wanted to know what the situation looks like in Switzerland and therefore analyzed in-hospital mortality over the last 20 years with regard to gender, age and therapies. For this study we used the data of the nationwide AMIS Plus registry (Acute Myocardial Infarction in Switzerland) which exists since 1997 and continuously prospectively collects clinical data of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction. We have found that during the last 20 years (from 1997 to the end of 2016) in-hospital mortality of patients with acute myocardial infarction in Switzerland has halved. Although in-hospital mortality was consistently higher in women, overall age-adjusted mortality has decreased more prominently in women compared to men. Especially in patients aged below 60 years a significant decrease in in-hospital mortality was observed in women but not in men.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response: These contemporary clinical data reveal that the gender gap in acute myocardial infarction mortality has been reduced over the past two decades, particularly in women below 60 years. The therapy  acute myocardial infarction has undergone substantial changes. The mortality decrease could in large be explained by the increase in reperfusion therapy.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Trends in mortality and therapeutic strategies in patients with acute myocardial infarction should be closely monitored in general to enable a timely reaction if needed, particularly for certain patient subgroups.  

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: I have no conflict of interest.

AMIS Plus Registry is financially supported by unrestricted grands from: Abbot AG, Amgen AG, AstraZeneca AG, Bayer (Schweiz) AG, B. Braun Medical AG, Biotronik AG, Boston Scientific AG, Cordis-Cardinal Health, Daiichi-Sankyo/Eli Lilly AG, GE Healthcare, Medtronic AG, Mepha Pharma AG, Merck Sharp & Dohme-Chibret AG, Novartis Pharma Schweiz AG, St. Jude Medical, Vascular Medical AG; all in Switzerland. The sponsors did not play any role in the design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the registry. 

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:  ESC 2017 presentation:

Gender differences in the decrease of in-hospital mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction during the last 20 years in Switzerland

http://congress365.escardio.org/Presentation/156653?_ga=2.21014719.560459563.1503834702-893515845.1503834701#.WbCRnNN94cg

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

 

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Last Updated on October 18, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD