Background: Recent population-based estimates for long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality after hospitalization for a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are not well established.
Methods: Data from the Swedish hospital discharge and death registries were used to record all first-ever hospital admissions in patients (n=348,772) 35-84 years with AMI from 1987 to 2006 and subsequent all-cause and CVD case fatality during up to 5 years.
Results: During the 20-year period, 28-day case fatality was reduced by almost two thirds in patients aged <75 years. For cases with a first AMI 1999-2002 long-term case fatality for men surviving the first 28 days and <55 years was 10.3/1000 person years, with rates of 23.6, 58.0 and 137.0 for men aged 55-64, 65-74 and 75-84 years. Corresponding figures for women were 10.5, 24.3, 51.8, 124.1 deaths/1000 years. In 1999-2002 estimated long-term risk of fatal CVD (based on survival until 2007) for men below 55 years was 6.1/1000 years, and 13.8, 34.6, 92.9 for men aged 55-64, 65-74, and 75-84 years, respectively. Corresponding figures for women were 4.8, 11.9, 30.1, 86.2/1000 years. The total reduction in CVD case fatality was two thirds among patients aged <55 and approximately one third among those aged 75-84.
Conclusions: Long-term case fatality after hospitalization for AMI decreased markedly from 1987 to 2006, particularly with respect to CVD mortality and in younger patients. However, because of a steep increase in case fatality with age and a large proportion of older patients, long-term prognosis overall still remains poor.
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