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Post-episode monitoring of heart attack patients linked to increased survival rate

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Individuals who regularly take cholesterol tests may have a better idea if they're at risk for coronary artery disease, which could lead to a potentially fatal heart attack. A new study from researchers based in the U.K. and Australia says that medical professionals can apply a handful of different methods to help prevent heart attack patients from dying or being readmitted to a hospital soon after their episode.

The information, appearing in Cochrane Systematic Review, was compiled from healthcare records of 6,000 patients participating in 25 clinical trials. The researchers say that case-management intervention and a combination of hospital- and home-based care were effective at preventing patients from dying within a year of their heart attack or being rehospitalized within six months.

Unfavorable results on cholesterol tests do not necessarily mean a heart attack is foregone conclusion, Mayo Clinic states. The nonprofit medical organization says the risk of an acute heart attack can be lessened by exercise, eating less salt, and treating stress and depression. Losing weight, the clinic adds, is the most effective means by which at-risk individuals can protect themselves from heart attack.