Between 2000 and 2022, acute myocardial infarction mortality in Poland declined by an average of 5.5% annually, a slower rate of reduction than in Finland (-7.9%), the Czech Republic, and Sweden.
Observational
Yes
Although AMI mortality in Poland declined substantially between 2000 and 2022, the rate of decline was slower than in several other EU countries, highlighting the need for reinforced preventive cardiology measures.
Abstract Introduction Although mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Poland declined substantially between 2000 and 2022, mortality levels remain higher than in several other European Union (EU) countries. Objective The objective of this study was to compare temporal trends in AMI mortality in Poland with trends observed in selected EU Member States characterized by either the lowest or highest standardized death rates (SDR) from AMI and by notable dynamics of change, specifically: France, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, and Romania. Methods Standardized death rates (SDR) were obtained from the Eurostat database. Annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) were calculated, accompanied by corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results In 2000, the SDR due to AMI in Poland was 115.9 per 100,000 population. In the same year, markedly higher SDRs were recorded in Finland (184.4), the Czech Republic (161.6), Sweden (139.8), and Romania (133.9). The average annual percentage change in Poland between 2000 and 2022 was -5.5%, which was slower than in Finland (-7.9%), the Czech Republic (-6.8%), and Sweden (-6.6%). Consequently, by 2022 these countries had achieved lower SDRs than Poland (Czech Republic: 29.3; Finland: 31.7; Sweden: 34.1). In Romania, the decline was minimal (-1.5%), resulting in the highest AMI mortality rate in the EU in 2022 (110.1). Denmark also demonstrated substantial improvement: the SDR decreased from 103.6 in 2000 to 19.2 in 2022, corresponding to an annual decline of -7.7%. The lowest mortality rates throughout the study period were observed in France (51.0 in 2000 and 17.2 in 2022). In Slovenia, the SDR was among the lowest in the EU in 2000 (77.6). After a rapid decrease between 2000 and 2006 (-7.1% per year), a period of statistically non-significant increase ensued, resulting in an SDR of 50.5 in 2022—higher only than Romania among the analyzed countries. In Poland, the pace of decline varied across the study period. The most pronounced reduction occurred between 2006 and 2017 (-7.8% annually), comparable to that observed in Finland. This period was followed by stabilization during 2017–2020. After 2020, the rate of decline increased again to -7.0% per year. Conclusions Sustaining and strengthening the post-2020 decline in AMI mortality in Poland will be essential to narrowing the gap with the best-performing EU countries. Achieving this goal requires a comprehensive reinforcement of preventive cardiology measures. Poland may benefit from adopting long-standing prevention strategies used in EU countries that have consistently achieved substantial reductions in AMI mortality. Continued surveillance, systematic evaluation of trends, and data-driven adaptation of preventive policies remain crucial to maintaining progress.For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text. For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text.
Burzynska et al. (Mon,) conducted a observational in Acute myocardial infarction. Country of residence (Poland vs selected EU countries) was evaluated on Standardized death rates (SDR) from AMI and average annual percentage change (AAPC). Between 2000 and 2022, acute myocardial infarction mortality in Poland declined by an average of 5.5% annually, a slower rate of reduction than in Finland (-7.9%), the Czech Republic, and Sweden.