title: Marital status and outcome of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome: an observational report.
abstract: BACKGROUND & HYPOTHESIS: Data on the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) according to their marital status is not clear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 5334 patients presenting with ACS in 65 hospitals in 6 Middle East countries in the 2nd Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2) were studied according to their marital status (5024 married, 100 single, and 210 widowed patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  When compared to married patients, widowed patients were older and more likely to be female. Widowed patients were more likely to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, history of heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease and were less likely to be tobacco users when compared to the other groups. Widowed patients were also more likely to present with atypical symptoms and have advanced Killip class. Widowed patients were more likely to present with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) when compared to the other 2 groups. Widowed patients were more likely to have heart failure (P = 0.001), cardiogenic shock (P = 0.001), and major bleeding (P = 0.002) when compared to the other groups. No statistically significant difference was observed in regard to duration of hospital stay, door to needle time in STEMI patients, or cardiac arrhythmias between the various groups. Widowed patients had higher in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality rates (P = 0.001). Marital status was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Widowed marital status was associated with worse cardiovascular risk profile, and worse in-hospital and 1-year outcome. Future work should be focused on whether the provision of psychosocial support will result in improved outcomes among this high-risk group.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors: Hadi A R
authors: HA
authors: Hadi Khafaji
authors: Khalid
authors: K
authors: Al Habib
authors: Nidal
authors: N
authors: Asaad
authors: Rajvir
authors: R
authors: Singh
authors: Ahmad
authors: A
authors: Hersi
authors: Husam
authors: H
authors: Al Falaeh
authors: Shukri
authors: S
authors: Al Saif
authors: Ahmed
authors: A
authors: Al-Motarreb
authors: Wael
authors: W
authors: Almahmeed
authors: Kadhim
authors: K
authors: Sulaiman
authors: Haitham
authors: H
authors: Amin
authors: Jawad
authors: J
authors: Al-Lawati
authors: Norah Q
authors: NQ
authors: Al-Sagheer
authors: Alawi A
authors: AA
authors: Alsheikh-Ali
authors: Jassim
authors: J
authors: Al Suwaidi
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D017805:Widowhood