Effect of age on myocardial infarction and thrombolysis.
Thrombolytic therapy has emerged as the treatment of choice for patients presenting with an acute myocardial infarction. Myocardial infarction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Advancing age has been considered a relative contraindication to thrombolytic therapy despite the potential for the elderly to derive the greatest benefit from this therapy. This trend not to treat the elderly has been based on a perceived increased risk of complications. Available data pooled from several studies clearly show that the elderly benefit from thrombolytic therapy.
Morgan
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B
Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44109.
Emerman
C L
CL
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy