 |
|
Study examines prevalence of chest pain in patients 1 year after heart attack
June 24, 2008Nearly one in five patients experiences chest pain one year after having a heart attack, according to a report in the June 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
One of the main goals of in-hospital treatment and outpatient care after heart attack is to relieve angina (or episodic chest pain), according to background information in the article. The prevalence and treatment of chest pain one year after heart attack are largely unknown. "By identifying these factors, a more complete understanding of those patients who are at the greatest risk for angina [chest pain] after myocardial infarction [heart attack] can occur," the authors write. Identifying this population is important for treating remaining chest pain and improving patient outcomes, including ability to exercise and health-related quality of life.
Thomas M. Maddox, M.D., S.M., of Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Colorado Denver, and colleagues studied the occurrence of angina in 1,957 patients recruited from January 2003 to June 2004. Patients filled out questionnaires assessing their chest pain one year after hospitalization for heart attack. Sociodemographic, clinical and other lifestyle factors were also reported.
Of all patients, 389 (19.9 percent) reported angina one year after hospitalization for heart attack. Twenty-four patients (1.2 percent) reported having daily chest pain, 59 (3 percent) reported weekly chest pain and 306 (15.6 percent) reported having chest pain less than once a week.
Patients experiencing chest pain one year after heart attack were more likely to be younger, non-white males with prior chest pain who have undergone prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery and have experienced recurring rest chest pain while hospitalized for heart attack. Patients with one-year chest pain were also more likely to continue smoking, to undergo revascularization (surgery to reestablish blood flow to the heart) after hospitalization and to have significant new, persistent or fleeting depressive symptoms.
"Multiple factors were associated with one-year angina, including demographic, clinical, inpatient and outpatient characteristics. Recognition of these relationships will be important in monitoring at-risk patients after acute myocardial infarction," the authors conclude. "In addition, future investigation into modifiable factors, such as depression and smoking cessation, will be important in the quest to alleviate angina and improve subsequent cardiac outcomes among patients after myocardial infarction."
JAMA and Archives Journals
Of all patients, 389 (19.9 percent) reported angina one year after hospitalization for heart attack. Twenty-four patients (1.2 percent) reported having daily chest pain, 59 (3 percent) reported weekly chest pain and 306 (15.6 percent) reported having chest pain less than once a week.
Patients experiencing chest pain one year after heart attack were more likely to be younger, non-white males with prior chest pain who have undergone prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery and have experienced recurring rest chest pain while hospitalized for heart attack. Patients with one-year chest pain were also more likely to continue smoking, to undergo revascularization (surgery to reestablish blood flow to the heart) after hospitalization and to have significant new, persistent or fleeting depressive symptoms.
"Multiple factors were associated with one-year angina, including demographic, clinical, inpatient and outpatient characteristics. Recognition of these relationships will be important in monitoring at-risk patients after acute myocardial infarction," the authors conclude. "In addition, future investigation into modifiable factors, such as depression and smoking cessation, will be important in the quest to alleviate angina and improve subsequent cardiac outcomes among patients after myocardial infarction."
JAMA and Archives Journals
Chest Pain Current Events and Chest Pain News RSSStudy reveals that signs of heart disease are attributed to stress more frequently in women than men
Research presented at the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), found that coronary heart disease (CHD) symptoms presented in the context of a stressful life event were identified as psychogenic in origin when presented by women and organic in origin when presented by men
Robotic Surgery Lowers Risk of a Rare but Serious Complication of Gastric Bypass
The use of a robot to assist with the most commonly performed weight-loss surgery appears to significantly lower a patient's risk of developing a rare but serious complication, according to a study published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Robotic Surgery.
Newly discovered molecule promises better treatments for heart attacks, heart surgery
Scientists have discovered a compound that could lead to new treatments for heart attacks as well as methods to protect hearts during open heart surgery and other situations in which blood flow to the heart is interrupted.
Computed tomography provides anatomy -- we need ischemia!
Cardiac computed tomography has revolutionized cardiac imaging in recent years by providing exquisitely detailed cardiac anatomy, including, but not limited to, coronary anatomy.
Air pollution damages more than lungs: Heart and blood vessels suffer too
As athletes from around the world compete in the Beijing Olympics, many are on alert for respiratory problems caused by air pollution. They should also be concerned about its toxic effects on the heart and cardiovascular system, mounting research shows.
Coronary CTA costs less than standard of care for triaging women with acute chest pain
Non-invasive coronary CT angiography (CTA) is more cost-effective than current tests for diagnosing women with low risk of a heart attack who come to the emergency room with acute chest pain, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
Study shows emergency physicians have good first instincts in diagnosing heart attacks
A study out of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center demonstrates emergency room doctors are correctly identifying patients who are having a heart attack, even when laboratory tests haven't yet confirmed it.
Study Shows Cost-Effectiveness of 64-Slice CT Scanner in Emergency Department Chest Pain Patients
A recent study led by Rahul Khare, MD, emergency department physician and assistant director of operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of utilizing a CT scanner to evaluate low-risk chest pain patients in the emergency room.
Still puzzling: Best care for the frail and elderly with coronary artery disease
A new study from Duke University Medical Center finds that patients treated solely with medications after suffering from chest pain, heart attack or coronary artery disease are more likely to die during the first year following their initial hospitalization.
Chest Pain Center Accreditation Linked with Better Outcomes in Heart Attack Patients
Hospitals accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) have been shown to perform better in the heart attack core measures established by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as compared to non-accredited hospitals, according to a national study led by an Emory University researcher.
More Chest Pain Current Events and Chest Pain News Articles
 | Chest Pain J. Willis Hurst, MD, a pioneer in the development of cardiology, and his colleague, Douglas C. Morris, M.D., both of Emory University, have edited this book and chose its unusual title for very specific reasons. Patients sometimes have an odd view as to anatomic landmarks that identify the location of the chest, and may assign terms other than pain to their discomfort. Hence the quotation marks... |
 | Chest Pains: A Novel by Janet Nichols Lynch |
| Chest Pain with Normal Coronary Angiograms: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Management The problem of chest pain with normal coronary arteriograms (`syndrome X') continues to represent a major challenge to contemporary cardiology. Progress has been made in recent years regarding the pathophysiology and management of this condition; however, information contained in the medical journals continues to be conflicting and controversial. This volume brings together leading... | |
 | Chest Pain - When and When Not to Worry by Albert Miller |
 | Chest Pain by Richard C. Becker *A clear and concise handbook for the diagnosis and management of chest painDesigned to give physicians an understanding of the underlying cause and how to treat it *Convenient pocket size is designed for everyday... |
| When You Have Chest Pains: A Guide to Cardiac and Noncardiac Causes and What You Can Do About Them by Gershon Lesser, Larry Strauss | |
| Consider anxiety in patients who have chest pain. (Rarely Correlates with Heart Problems).: An article from: Pediatric News by Robert Finn This digital document is an article from Pediatric News, published by International Medical News Group on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 595 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation... | |
| Audio-digest: Emergency Medicine: Chest Pain Update (Vol. 19, Issue 11, June 7, 2002) Evaluation: optimizing success. Management of ischemic chest pain.... | |
| BLOOD TEST CAN HELP RULE OUT CARDIAC CAUSE OF CHEST PAIN.: An article from: Biotech Equipment Update This digital document is an article from Biotech Equipment Update, published by Worldwide Videotex on September 1, 2004. The length of the article is 668 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation... | |
| The Patient with Chest Pain / The Terminally Ill Patient / Innocent Murmurs in Children: An Everpresent Problem in Practice (Primary Care, Volume 1, Number 2, June 1974) by M.D. Mark D. Altschule |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |