RESEARCH - Unrecognized myocardial infarction common among elderly

[Guest guest]

Unrecognized myocardial infarction common among elderly

8/28/2006

By: Reuters Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Aug 28 - Evidence of unrecognized myocardial

infarction may be seen in up to one-fifth of 70-year-olds, and, if verified,

these individuals would represent a previously unrecognized risk group for

future cardiovascular events, according to study findings reported by a

Swedish team.

" Myocardial injury occurs earlier than clinically suspected, " Dr. Charlotte

Ebeling Barbier from Uppsala University Hospital, told Reuters Health.

Dr. Ebeling Barbier and colleagues used MRI to investigate the prevalence of

recognized MI and unrecognized MI in 259 individuals with weeks of their

70th birthday.

Just over 4% of the subjects had evidence of previously recognized MI, the

authors report, while 19.8% had evidence of unrecognized MI, Dr. Barbier's

group reports in the August 15th issue of the Journal of the American

College of Cardiology.

This prevalence of unrecognized MI is greater than previous estimates, the

investigators note.

Unrecognized MIs were more common among women than among men, and were more

frequently located in the inferior and inferolateral segments of the left

ventricle.

Unrecognized MI volumes were significantly smaller than recognized MI

volumes, the researchers note, and left ventricular mass was significantly

larger in all subjects with evidence of MI than in those without MI scars.

All of the patients with scars had more frequent cardiac morbidity and

significantly lower ejection fraction than did patients without myocardial

scars, the report indicates.

" We do not yet know whether the pathogenesis of MRI-detected unrecognized

MIs is identical to that of recognized MIs, " Dr. Ebeling Barbier added.

" This has to be thoroughly investigated. "

To this end, " a follow-up investigation of the same cohort at 75 years of

age has started, " she said.

Last Updated: 2006-08-28 10:35:08 -0400 (Reuters Health)

J Am Coll Cardiol 2006;48:765-771.

http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=sup & Sub=car & Pag=dis & ItemId=72204 & wf=1183

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[Guest guest]

-,

THis subject hits really too close to home for me...and I preach to

every woman I know who is having any kind of chest pain....my mother

died after totally blowing apart her Left ventricle (per autopsy)

after being in the Er 5 days before with chest pain, and in her PCP's

office 24 hours before asking for a repeat ekg and saying that she

still was having chest pain...the Pa would not do a ekg because she

ha had one 4 days before saying " nothing will have changed in 4

days " . Then when my mother said she was gong beck to the ER...the off

ice nurse told her that medicare would not cover it ...that she could

be seen in the office and she was...so she didn't go to the ER and

she was dead of a heart attack less than 24 hours later at 72 years

old!

Women especially have to be VERY pro-active about demanding to be

seen, and to be taken seriously. Had I been there I would have

demanded that the MD see her that day in the office...he was too busy

per the nurse....And if that failed I would have taken her to another

ER...not the one who gave her darcvocet and sent her home!!! SHe

would have had the opportunity to make the choice of having open

heart surgery or not, and would have had the chance to say her

goodbyes...that was stolen from her by a PA who thought he knew it

all, an MD who was too busy to see a long time pt who was having

chest pain, and an office nurse who was not an advocate for a patient

who she knew was having a problem (as she confessed later to a family

member!!) " I should have made sure DR saw her...she was not looking

good " was what she said.....no kidding!!!! Thanks you for posting

this very important information for the list to read!! I hope that

all pay attention to it and learn to be pro active about their care!

You can ask for a second opinion or go to another ER if you are not

satisfied with the care you recieve or if you think that you are not

being taken seriously..it could be a matter of life or

death!!!.....jenna

-- In , " " <Matsumura_Clan@...>

wrote:

>

> Unrecognized myocardial infarction common among elderly

>

>

> 8/28/2006

> By: Reuters Health

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Aug 28 - Evidence of unrecognized

myocardial

> infarction may be seen in up to one-fifth of 70-year-olds, and, if

verified,

> these individuals would represent a previously unrecognized risk

group for

> future cardiovascular events, according to study findings reported

by a

> Swedish team.

>

> " Myocardial injury occurs earlier than clinically suspected, " Dr.

Charlotte

> Ebeling Barbier from Uppsala University Hospital, told Reuters

Health.

>

> Dr. Ebeling Barbier and colleagues used MRI to investigate the

prevalence of

> recognized MI and unrecognized MI in 259 individuals with weeks of

their

> 70th birthday.

>

> Just over 4% of the subjects had evidence of previously recognized

MI, the

> authors report, while 19.8% had evidence of unrecognized MI, Dr.

Barbier's

> group reports in the August 15th issue of the Journal of the

American

> College of Cardiology.

>

> This prevalence of unrecognized MI is greater than previous

estimates, the

> investigators note.

>

> Unrecognized MIs were more common among women than among men, and

were more

> frequently located in the inferior and inferolateral segments of

the left

> ventricle.

>

> Unrecognized MI volumes were significantly smaller than recognized

MI

> volumes, the researchers note, and left ventricular mass was

significantly

> larger in all subjects with evidence of MI than in those without MI

scars.

>

> All of the patients with scars had more frequent cardiac morbidity

and

> significantly lower ejection fraction than did patients without

myocardial

> scars, the report indicates.

>

> " We do not yet know whether the pathogenesis of MRI-detected

unrecognized

> MIs is identical to that of recognized MIs, " Dr. Ebeling Barbier

added.

> " This has to be thoroughly investigated. "

>

> To this end, " a follow-up investigation of the same cohort at 75

years of

> age has started, " she said.

>

> Last Updated: 2006-08-28 10:35:08 -0400 (Reuters Health)

>

> J Am Coll Cardiol 2006;48:765-771.

>

> http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?

Sec=sup & Sub=car & Pag=dis & ItemId=72204 & wf=1183

>

>

>

>

> Not an MD

>

> I'll tell you where to go!

>

> Mayo Clinic in Rochester

> http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

>

> s Hopkins Medicine

> http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you Dennis,

It was a very difficult time for our family, but I continue to stand

on my soapbox and shout to all who will listen, if one person takes

my advice to heart (no pun intended) then she will not have died in

vain! And sometimes I think that in the background I hear a small

round of applause...that she has heard my warning to others, and is

encouraging me to continue.

THanks again. And thank you for posting it exactly as I wrote

it! I appreciate that!...........jenna

-- In , <betnden@...> wrote:

>

> It's a shame to have to read your post, Jenna. I'm sorry you had to

go

> through that. Everyone needs to keep in mind that a woman presents

> differently to a heart problem as my sister found out. She had gone

to

> different hospitals at different times with heart/chest pains, but

nothing

> was ever decided until a local doctor got curious. She had a triple

bypass

> and now is as mean as ever.

>

> Dennis in Eastexas

> " It's not Rocket Surgery "

>

> [ ] Re: RESEARCH - Unrecognized myocardial

infarction

> common among elderly

>

>

> > -,

> > THis subject hits really too close to home for me...and I preach

to

> > every woman I know who is having any kind of chest pain....my

mother

> > died after totally blowing apart her Left ventricle (per autopsy)

> > after being in the Er 5 days before with chest pain, and in her

PCP's

> > office 24 hours before asking for a repeat ekg and saying that she

> > still was having chest pain...the Pa would not do a ekg because

she

> > ha had one 4 days before saying " nothing will have changed in 4

> > days " . Then when my mother said she was gong beck to the ER...the

off

> > ice nurse told her that medicare would not cover it ...that she

could

> > be seen in the office and she was...so she didn't go to the ER and

> > she was dead of a heart attack less than 24 hours later at 72

years

> > old!

> > Women especially have to be VERY pro-active about demanding to be

> > seen, and to be taken seriously. Had I been there I would have

> > demanded that the MD see her that day in the office...he was too

busy

> > per the nurse....And if that failed I would have taken her to

another

> > ER...not the one who gave her darcvocet and sent her home!!! SHe

> > would have had the opportunity to make the choice of having open

> > heart surgery or not, and would have had the chance to say her

> > goodbyes...that was stolen from her by a PA who thought he knew it

> > all, an MD who was too busy to see a long time pt who was having

> > chest pain, and an office nurse who was not an advocate for a

patient

> > who she knew was having a problem (as she confessed later to a

family

> > member!!) " I should have made sure DR saw her...she was not

looking

> > good " was what she said.....no kidding!!!! Thanks you for posting

> > this very important information for the list to read!! I hope

that

> > all pay attention to it and learn to be pro active about their

care!

> > You can ask for a second opinion or go to another ER if you are

not

> > satisfied with the care you recieve or if you think that you are

not

> > being taken seriously..it could be a matter of life or

> > death!!!.....jenna

>

[Guest guest]

-, thank you for your kindness.....I hope that everyone will read

it and remember it!................jenna

-- In , " " <Matsumura_Clan@...>

wrote:

>

> Jenna, that is a heartbreaking story. I'm so sorry your mother died

that

> way.

>

> I hope everyone takes the time to read your message.

>

>

>

> Not an MD

>

> I'll tell you where to go!

>

> Mayo Clinic in Rochester

> http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

>

> s Hopkins Medicine

> http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

>

>

> [ ] Re: RESEARCH - Unrecognized myocardial

infarction

> common among elderly

>

>

> > -,

> > THis subject hits really too close to home for me...and I preach

to

> > every woman I know who is having any kind of chest pain....my

mother

> > died after totally blowing apart her Left ventricle (per autopsy)

> > after being in the Er 5 days before with chest pain, and in her

PCP's

> > office 24 hours before asking for a repeat ekg and saying that she

> > still was having chest pain...the Pa would not do a ekg because

she

> > ha had one 4 days before saying " nothing will have changed in 4

> > days " . Then when my mother said she was gong beck to the ER...the

off

> > ice nurse told her that medicare would not cover it ...that she

could

> > be seen in the office and she was...so she didn't go to the ER and

> > she was dead of a heart attack less than 24 hours later at 72

years

> > old!

> > Women especially have to be VERY pro-active about demanding to be

> > seen, and to be taken seriously. Had I been there I would have

> > demanded that the MD see her that day in the office...he was too

busy

> > per the nurse....And if that failed I would have taken her to

another

> > ER...not the one who gave her darcvocet and sent her home!!! SHe

> > would have had the opportunity to make the choice of having open

> > heart surgery or not, and would have had the chance to say her

> > goodbyes...that was stolen from her by a PA who thought he knew it

> > all, an MD who was too busy to see a long time pt who was having

> > chest pain, and an office nurse who was not an advocate for a

patient

> > who she knew was having a problem (as she confessed later to a

family

> > member!!) " I should have made sure DR saw her...she was not

looking

> > good " was what she said.....no kidding!!!! Thanks you for posting

> > this very important information for the list to read!! I hope

that

> > all pay attention to it and learn to be pro active about their

care!

> > You can ask for a second opinion or go to another ER if you are

not

> > satisfied with the care you recieve or if you think that you are

not

> > being taken seriously..it could be a matter of life or

> > death!!!.....jenna

>