Medical Edge Newspaper Column

Heart Attack Recovery

December 17, 2007
Readers:
Recovery from heart attacks is best served by taking prescribed medications. Yet more than half of patients who have had a heart attack stop taking these lifesaving medications within three years, according to results of a recent Mayo Clinic study.

By following patients at six, 12 and 36 months after a heart attack, the researchers discovered:

• At six months, 92 percent of the patients taking statins continued treatment, and by three years only 44 percent of the patients continued taking statins.
• Similarly, the rate of beta-blocker continuation dropped from 89 percent at six months to 47 percent at three years.
• The rate of ACE inhibitor continuation dropped from 77 percent at six months to 37 percent at three years.
• At six months, smokers were significantly less likely to continue all three heart medications compared to nonsmokers.

In addition, study findings indicate that patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation programs tend to continue their medications at a higher rate than patients who do not enroll.

"It is clearly documented that treatments exist that improve outcomes following heart attacks, but patients need to comply with the treatment regimens for the goal of improved patient health to be realized," says Nilay Shah, Ph.D., the study's lead researcher.