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Prevalence Of Chest Pain In Patients One Year After Heart Attack Reviewed

Date:
June 23, 2008
Source:
JAMA and Archives Journals
Summary:
Nearly one in five patients experiences chest pain one year after having a heart attack, according to a new report.
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Nearly one in five patients experiences chest pain one year after having a heart attack, according to a new report. One of the main goals of in-hospital treatment and outpatient care after heart attack is to relieve angina (or episodic chest pain), according to background information in the article. The prevalence and treatment of chest pain one year after heart attack are largely unknown.

"By identifying these factors, a more complete understanding of those patients who are at the greatest risk for angina [chest pain] after myocardial infarction [heart attack] can occur," the authors write. Identifying this population is important for treating remaining chest pain and improving patient outcomes, including ability to exercise and health-related quality of life.

Thomas M. Maddox, M.D., S.M., of Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Colorado Denver, and colleagues studied the occurrence of angina in 1,957 patients recruited from January 2003 to June 2004. Patients filled out questionnaires assessing their chest pain one year after hospitalization for heart attack. Sociodemographic, clinical and other lifestyle factors were also reported.

Of all patients, 389 (19.9 percent) reported angina one year after hospitalization for heart attack. Twenty-four patients (1.2 percent) reported having daily chest pain, 59 (3 percent) reported weekly chest pain and 306 (15.6 percent) reported having chest pain less than once a week.

Patients experiencing chest pain one year after heart attack were more likely to be younger, non-white males with prior chest pain who have undergone prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery and have experienced recurring rest chest pain while hospitalized for heart attack. Patients with one-year chest pain were also more likely to continue smoking, to undergo revascularization (surgery to reestablish blood flow to the heart) after hospitalization and to have significant new, persistent or fleeting depressive symptoms.

"Multiple factors were associated with one-year angina, including demographic, clinical, inpatient and outpatient characteristics. Recognition of these relationships will be important in monitoring at-risk patients after acute myocardial infarction," the authors conclude. "In addition, future investigation into modifiable factors, such as depression and smoking cessation, will be important in the quest to alleviate angina and improve subsequent cardiac outcomes among patients after myocardial infarction."

This study was supported in part by CV Therapeutics Inc., Palo Alto, California, and in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health Specialized Centers of Clinically Oriented Research.


Story Source:

Materials provided by JAMA and Archives Journals. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Angina at 1 Year After Myocardial Infarction: Prevalence and Associated Findings. Thomas M. Maddox; Kimberly J. Reid; John A. Spertus; Murray Mittleman; Harlan M. Krumholz; Susmita Parashar; P. Michael Ho; John S. Rumsfeld. Arch Intern Med., 2008;168(12):1310-1316 [abstract]

Cite This Page:

JAMA and Archives Journals. "Prevalence Of Chest Pain In Patients One Year After Heart Attack Reviewed." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 June 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623175421.htm>.
JAMA and Archives Journals. (2008, June 23). Prevalence Of Chest Pain In Patients One Year After Heart Attack Reviewed. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623175421.htm
JAMA and Archives Journals. "Prevalence Of Chest Pain In Patients One Year After Heart Attack Reviewed." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623175421.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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