title: Geriatric patients with acute myocardial infarction: Cardiac risk factor profiles, presentation, thrombolysis, coronary interventions, and prognosis.
abstract: Elderly patients have a higher mortality after acute myocardial infarction (MI) yet are treated less aggressively than younger patients. To determine (l) the risk-factor profiles, (2) presentation, (3) management, and (4) hospital outcomes for the elderly (> or = 75 years) compared with middle aged (66 to 74 years) and younger (< or = 65 years) patients in the 1990s, we studied 561 consecutive patients with acute MI. Compared with younger patients, the elderly more frequently had congestive heart failure (40 percent vs 14 percent; p < 0.00001) and non-Q wave infarctions (76 percent vs 56 percent; p < 0.005), received thrombolysis (9 percent vs 34 percent; p < 0.0001), and underwent catheterization (35 percent vs 73 percent; p < 0.00001), percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (9 percent vs 31 percent; p < 0.0002), and coronary artery bypass grafting (5 percent vs 15 percent; p < 0.03) less frequently. Those who did not receive thrombolysis all had contraindications. Mortality was higher in the elderly (19 percent vs 5 percent; p < 0.004), especially among those who did not receive thrombolysis (20 percent vs 7 percent; p < 0.03). Multivariate predictors of mortality included age, and congestive heart failure. In addition, when clinical course and management variables were considered, use of the intraaortic balloon pump was a predictor of mortality, whereas undergoing coronary angiography was a negative predictor (relative risk, 0.3; 95 percent confidence intervals, 0.1 to 0.6).
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: O'Gara
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Mahjoub
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: DiSalvo
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Villarreal-Levy
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: N I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cararach
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Eagle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome