Prior Medication Use Shifts Balance of MIs

August 9th, 2010

Prior Medication Use Shifts Balance of MIs

Larry Husten, PHD

Patients who present with MI and are taking aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, or statins are more likely to have a non-STEMI than a STEMI, according to findings from a large Swedish registry published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Lena Björck and colleagues analyzed data from over 100,000 consecutive admissions for MI. Some 61% of STEMI patients had used no medications, versus 46% of non-STEMI patients.

In an invited commentary, Eyal Herzog and Fahad Javed generally praise the study but write that “before too strongly embracing pharmacologic treatment, it is important to remember that the risk of MI is almost entirely attributable to modifiable cardiovascular risk factors…. We know what works; now we have to put our evidence to use.”

CardioExchange Archive

CardioExchange, an NEJM practice community for medical professionals dedicated to improving cardiac patient care, was active from 2009 to 2015. CardioExchange fostered discussion between clinicians from across the globe.

August 9th, 2010