title: Benefits from revascularisation therapy in the elderly with acute myocardial infarction. Comparative analysis of patients hospitalised in 1992-1996 and in 2005-2006.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery disease in the elderly is associated with multilevel atherosclerosis and chronic co-morbidities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine benefits from revascularisation in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 830 patients over 65 years with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were included. Of them, 339 admitted in 1992-1996 (38.5% STEMI population hospitalised in 1992-1996) (group 1) and 491 (55.2% STEMI population) admitted in 2005-2006 (group 2) were compared. We examined patient characteristics, the course of hospitalisation, the type of therapy and its effect on in-hospital and long-term prognosis (6-month follow-up).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of patients over 65 has increased significantly from 38.5% in 1992-1996 to 55.2% in 2005-2006 (p < 0.001). In 1992-1996 fibrinolysis was administered in 11.2% of patients while 88.8% received conservative treatment. In 2005-2006 reperfusion therapy was used in 52.2% of patients (15.1% fibrinolysis, 37.1% primary angioplasty). The in-hospital and 6-month mortality tended to be lower in the more recent group (21.5% v. 18.5% and 28% v. 23.8%, NS, respectively). In group 1 there were 22.6% of deaths among those receiving conservative treatment versus 13.2% in patients submitted to reperfusion (p = 0.18). In group 2 in-hospital mortality was the lowest in patients undergoing invasive treatment which was associated with a 62% decrease in 6-month mortality as compared with those receiving conservative treatment (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Invasive treatment significantly improves in-hospital and long-term survival in older patients with STEMI. Lack of mortality reduction was related to worse clinical presentation of the currently hospitalised older patient.
authors: 2nd Department of Cardiologu, Swietokrzyskie Cardiology Centre, District Hosptial, Kielce, Poland. AnnaPolewczyk@wp.pl
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Polewczyk
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Janion
authors: Mariusz
authors: M
authors: Gasior
authors: Marek
authors: M
authors: Gierlotka
authors: Lech
authors: L
authors: Poloński
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome