For Heart Attack Survival, Age Makes a Difference

Your age may affect your chance of survival in the hospital after a heart attack, a new study found.

Age appeared to affect hospital mortality rates for patients who had a heart attack, according to this study of data from 986 hospitals from 2010 to 2014. More specifically, younger patients were more likely than older ones to survive the 30 days after they were admitted to the hospital for a heart attack.

Hospital quality is often measured by heart attack survival rates for older patients. But, based on their findings, the authors of this study said that might not provide an accurate measure of hospital quality for all patients.

In fact, patients who were 65 or older were around three times more likely than younger patients to die in the hospital after a heart attack, this study found.

Around half of the heart attacks in this study occurred in patients who were younger than 65. Ask your health care provider how to keep your heart healthy.

This study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The American College of Cardiology funded this research. Study authors disclosed ties to various health organizations and pharmaceutical companies.