Changes in the use of medications after acute myocardial infarction:: possible impact on mortality after myocardial infarction and long-term outcome

Objective To describe the change in the use of medication after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and discuss its possible impact on risk and risk indicators for death. Patients All patients discharged alive after hospitalization for AMI at Sahlgrenska Hospital (covering half the community of Goteborg, i.e. 250 000 of 500 000 inhabitants) during 1986-1987 (period I) and at Sahlgrenska Hospital and Ostra Hospital (covering the whole community of Goteborg, 500 000 inhabitants) during 1990-1991 (period II). Methods Overall mortality was retrospectively evaluated during 5 years of follow-up. Results In all, 740 patients were included in the study during period I and 1448 during period II. The 5-year mortalities were 44.1% for period I patients and 39.3% for period II patients (P = 0.036). The relative risk of death for period II patients was 0.78 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.89, P = 0.0005] after adjustment for differences at baseline. There was a significant interaction with a history of congestive heart failure; improvement in duration of survival was found only for patients without such a history. During period I, only 3% of patients were administered fibrinolytic agents, compared with 33% of patients during period II (P < 0.0001). During period I, aspirin was prescribed for 13% of patients discharged from hospital compared with 79% during period II. Other changes in treatment on going from period I to period II included increases in prescription of <beta>-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. After adjustment for various risk indicators for death, relative risk of death for those administered fibrinolytic agents was 0.60 (95% CI 0.18 -2.02) for patients in the period-I cohort and 0.68% (95% CI 0.51-0.91) for those in the period-II cohort. Adjusted relative risk of death for those prescribed aspirin upon discharge from hospital was 0.81 (95% CI 0.52-1.25) for period-I patients and 0.71 (95% CI 0.56-0.91) for period-II patients. The adjusted relative risk of death for those administered beta -blockers was 0.72 (95% CI 0.55-0.96) for period-I patients and 0.70 (95% CI 0.55-0.90) for period-II patients. Conclusion Increased use of fibrinolytic agents and aspirin for AMI as well as a moderate increase in use of beta -blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors was associated with a parallel reduction in age-adjusted mortality during the 5 years after discharge from hospital. However, this improvement was seen only for patients without histories of congestive heart failure. Coron Artery Dis 12:61-67 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.