Heart attack survivors as they face greater risk of serious health conditions
A study has suggested that people who survive heart attacks could be at a greater risk of developing further serious health conditions for up to ten years afterwards.
The researchers said that patients might benefit from extra support and monitoring in the years following their diagnosis. They also suggested that future studies should focus on identifying those at the greatest risk of adverse health conditions and on developing new strategies for prevention and early diagnosis.
The study, conducted by academics at the University of Leeds and part-funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Wellcome, analysed records of adults admitted to one NHS trust in England between 1 January 2008 and 31 January 2017. Of the 145.9 million hospitalisation records, some 433,361 individuals had suffered a heart attack for the first time.
The researchers looked at their health outcomes over nine years compared with a control group of two million people of the same age and sex who had not had a heart attack. The most likely condition was heart failure at 29.6%, compared to 9.8% in the control group. However, kidney failure developed in 27.2% of heart attack survivors compared with 19.8% of other patients.
New hospital admissions for diabetes were also higher at 17% compared with 14.3% among patients who had not had a heart attack. Dr Marlous Hall, the lead author of the study, said that "around 1.4 million" heart attack survivors in the UK are at risk of "further serious health conditions".
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Dr Hall, who is an associate professor of cardiovascular epidemiology at Leeds' School of Medicine and multimorbidity research at the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA), added: "Our study provides accessible online information of the risk of these health outcomes for specific age, sex and socioeconomic deprivation groups so that individuals surviving a heart attack can be well informed about their future risks, in order to support informed healthcare decision-making with their doctor."
"Effective communication of the likely course of disease and risk of adverse long-term outcomes between patients and healthcare professionals can promote positive lifestyle changes, encourage patients to stick to treatment and improve patient understanding and quality of life."
The BHF estimates that 100,000 people are admitted to hospital with heart attacks every year in the UK. However, more than seven in 10 people now survive them.
"Our study highlights the need for individual care plans to be revised to take into account the higher demand for care caused by survivorship," Dr Hall said.
The study revealed that the risk of heart failure among people who've had a heart attack was a whopping 393%, while the risk of a condition called atrial fibrillation jumped by 98%.
Interestingly, the research also found that these patients were at a greater risk of kidney failure by 77%, vascular dementia by 13% and depression by 6%. But there's some good news - these folks had a lower overall risk of cancer than those who hadn't had a heart attack.
Morag Foreman, who is the head of discovery researchers at Wellcome, said the study "provides valuable insight into the types of support and interventions that may be needed for patients following a heart attack". She added: "As survival rates following a heart attack improve, understanding the longer-term impacts on physical and mental health is crucial,"
Professor Bryan Williams, who is the chief scientific and medical officer at the BHF, said: "While more people than ever are surviving heart attacks, there can be longer-term consequences."
"Particularly after a major heart attack, people can be left with irreparable damage to their heart, putting them at increased risk of heart failure."
He added: "This study sheds further light on how heart attacks are associated with increased risk of developing other serious health conditions, including heart failure and atrial fibrillation."
Disabled woman paralysed after falling from wheelchair on plane walkway dies
And worryingly, it sounds like your background could play a part. The study found that poorer folk are at higher risk of becoming ill again after a heart attack, and might get sick again younger.
"The research suggests that these patients may benefit from additional support and monitoring to help reduce their risk of developing further health conditions. It is vital the NHS has the resources, including staff, infrastructure and equipment, to deliver the care that patients need to help them stay in the best possible health for longer."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
