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Posted on Aug 28, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
The risk of former heart attack patients having a repeat incident is being underestimated by doctors, it has been claimed.
The risk of former heart attack patients having a repeat incident is being underestimated by doctors, it has been claimed.
In news that may be of interest to anti-aging physicians, an international study led by the University of Edinburgh found that some individuals may not be receiving the optimum level of follow-up care and medical treatment.
As part of the research, data was examined from the Global Registry of Coronary Events that included more than 46,000 heart attack patients from 115 hospitals in 14 different nations, Eurekalert reports.
The results, published in the journal Nature Clinical Practice, highlighted that the belief that patients with completely blocked arteries were more at risk may be incorrect.
In fact, the chance of mortality in those with partially blocked arteries exceeded the former group after 26 days.
Professor Keith Fox, British Heart Foundation professor of cardiology at the university, said: "Two-thirds of adverse events after a heart attack - which may be a further heart attack, stroke or major bleed - happen after a patient has been discharged from hospital."
In related news, the Peninsula Medical School has called obesity among the elderly a "ticking time bomb" for health services.
