Survival, mode of death, reinfarction and use of medication during a period of 5 years after acute myocardial infarction in different age groups.
We describe the prognosis during 5 years of follow-up among consecutive patients hospitalized in a single hospital due to acute myocardial infarction in various age groups. When considering various aspects of clinical history, age was the strongest independent predictor of total 5-year mortality and of 5-year mortality after discharge from hospital. The overall 5-year mortality was: age < 65, 23%; age 65-75, 49%; age > 75, 79% (p < 0.001). The relationship between age and death appeared to be similar regardless of the development of Q waves, infarct size and infarct site. Among patients who died, younger patients more frequently died a sudden death associated with ventricular fibrillation, whereas the elderly more frequently died in association with congestive heart failure.
Division of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska, University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
J
J
Herlitz
B W
BW
Karlson
A
A
Bång
M
M
Sjölin
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate