Trends in long-term survival after myocardial infarction: less favourable patterns for patients from deprived areas.
OBJECTIVE
New treatments have improved the prognosis for patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, studies on long-term survival are not unequivocally in favour of an improved long-term prognosis. This study aimed to analyse trends in 3-year survival in relation to sex, age and socioeconomic level of residential area.


METHODS
The Malmö myocardial infarction register, Sweden.


METHODS
All men and women in the city who, between 1978 and 1995, were admitted for a first acute myocardial infarction (n = 11 226).


METHODS
Age-standardized 3-year survival rates.


RESULTS
Both 28-day and 3-year survival rates improved markedly during the study period. Age-standardized 3-year survival (per 100 patients) amongst men and women who survived 28 days increased, between 1978-81 and 1991-95, from 64 to 78 in men and from 66 to 77 in women, an annual increase of 1.4% (95% CI = 1.1-1.7) and 1.2% (0.8-1.5), respectively. There were marked differences in survival between residential areas with different socioeconomic circumstances. The 3-year survival rates amongst men correlated significantly with the socioeconomic circumstances in the areas expressed in terms of a socioeconomic score (men: r = 0.60, n = 17, P = 0.01; women: r = 0.37, P = 0.15). Trends tended to be less favourable in deprived areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Three-year survival after first myocardial infarction has continuously improved for men and women in all age groups. Prognosis was worse and trends tended to be less favourable for patients from deprived areas.
Engström
G
G
Department of Community Medicine, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden. Engstrom@smi.mas.lu.se
Göransson
M
M
Hansen
O
O
Hedblad
B
B
Tydén
P
P
Tödt
T
T
Janzon
L
L
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality*; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors