Patients with COPD who experience an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are at greater risk for death and hospital readmissions due to cardiovascular causes, than are those without the respiratory disease, according to study results published in the journal Chest.
Italian researchers conducted a follow-up study of 11,118 patients hospitalized and treated for STEMI. Of these, 2032 (18.2%) had a diagnosis of COPD before hospital admission. Overall, 1829 (16.5%) died during follow up, with mortality significantly higher in patients with COPD (23.5%) than without (16.0%).
Hospital readmission for recurrent MI was significantly higher in patients with COPD, as compared to those without (6.6 vs. 10.0%), coronary revascularization (19.0 vs. 22.0%), heart failure (6.9 vs. 10.0%), and serious bleeding (6.0 vs. 10.0%).
“In spite of recent progress in the treatment of cardiac and pulmonary diseases, patients with concomitant COPD admitted to hospital for STEMI remain at increased risk for death and hospital readmissions due to cardiovascular causes (e.g. recurrent MI, heart failure, bleedings) as compared to patients without COPD as comorbidity,” the authors concluded.
