| Poverty increases risk of complications and death after bypass surgery |
Poverty increases the risk of complications and death after heart bypass surgery, finds research in Heart. The researchers base their findings on over 3500 patients in need of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at one hospital unit between 1996 and 2000. Almost half of the unit’s referrals (40%) are drawn from a wide area across south west England. The researchers used information on risk factors likely to compromise the success of surgery, such as weight, smoking, and diabetes, as well as information on complications arising during the operation. They weighed these up against deprivation scores (Carstairs index), derived from the postcodes of each patient. Patients with high deprivation scores tended to be younger and have a greater array of risk factors. Those with the highest deprivation scores had higher rates of heart attacks and strokes within 30 days of surgery and were more likely to die than patients with the lowest scores. Their hospital stay was also significantly longer. The authors suggest that poverty is associated with a greater degree of life stress, social isolation and inadequate access to speedy and/or preventive treatment compared with those who are well off. Click here to view the full paper: http://press.psprings.co.uk/heart/september/ht026403.pdf |
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Director Médico