title: Hemoglobin levels and 30-day mortality in patients after myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure. However, the effect of hemoglobin levels on short-term CV mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective study we analyzed 1841 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of acute MI. The primary end-point of the study was 30-day mortality. Patients were categorized according to the hemoglobin level on admission (10 g/dl or less, or greater than 10 g/dl).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall 30-day mortality was 10.3%. The mortality was 21.6% in patients with hemoglobin levels on admission < or =10 g/dl and 9.3% in patients with hemoglobin levels >10 g/dl (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed, that lower hemoglobin concentration is an independent predictor of 30-day mortality, when adjusted for other risk factors (HR 1.76, CI 1.08-2.85; p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower levels of hemoglobin are associated with higher short-term mortality in patients with acute MI. Specific therapeutic strategies in anemic patients with MI should be further considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology/Thorax Center, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lipsic
authors.forename: Iwan C C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: van der Horst
authors.forename: Adriaan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Voors
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.forename: Maarten W N
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Nijsten
authors.forename: Wiek H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: van Gilst
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: van Veldhuisen
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zijlstra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins