title: Contemporary mortality due to acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina and exertional angina in a population in South East London.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data on the contemporary mortality of coronary heart disease (CHD) are surprisingly sparse.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the contemporary mortality of all manifestations of CHD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective follow-up of patients with a first presentation of CHD in a defined population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 537 patients with a first presentation of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina or new exertional angina in Bromley Health Authority, London (population 295,000). Patients were prospectively monitored for cardiac and non-cardiac mortality for a median of 6 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a median 6 years follow-up, there were 88 (16%) deaths. Survival free from cardiac death was not significantly different between unstable angina (92%) and new exertional angina (94%), but was lower for acute myocardial infarction (84%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mortality from CHD appears to be falling. However, efforts to prevent myocardial infarction should continue to be a priority, because on-going early mortality remains high. New exertional angina should be diagnosed and managed promptly, as its mortality is similar to that of unstable angina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Imperial College London, London W6 8RF, UK. k.fox@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Serhan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sutcliffe
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akhras
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Langford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017566:Microvascular Angina / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality*; D011446:Prospective Studies