Previous ischemic heart disease and heart failure were the strongest prognostic factors for long-term mortality among patients discharged alive after acute myocardial infarction (40% died at 5 years).
Cohort (n=1,329)
Previous ischemic heart disease and heart failure signs during the CCU stay are key predictors of long-term and early mortality after myocardial infarction, though sudden death remains difficult to predict.
ABSTRACT. 1329 patients were discharged alive after acute myocardial infarction initially treated in a CCU. In a five‐year follow‐up, 537 (40%) of the patients died. Routine data registered uniformly during the CCU period showed that, apart from age, the most important factors regarding long‐term prognosis in general were previous ischaemic heart disease and direct or indirect signs of heart failure registered in the CCU. The possibilities to predict sudden death (130 patients died within 2 hours of onset of final symptoms during the follow‐up period) were small, although a definite dominance of this mode of death was noted in patients below 60 years of age. The clinical profile of the majority of the 134 patients who died during the first half‐year was distinguished by a history of prior myocardial infarction and signs of left heart failure during the CCU stay. However, in a significant number of patients dying early after discharge, none of the ordinary unfavourable prognostic signs had been registered.
Helmers et al. (Fri,) conducted a cohort in Acute myocardial infarction (n=1,329). Previous ischemic heart disease and heart failure were the strongest prognostic factors for long-term mortality among patients discharged alive after acute myocardial infarction (40% died at 5 years).