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Mortality from a second myocardial infarction

Mortality from a second myocardial infarction (MI) is considerably higher than that from a first, and beta-blockers have been shown to reduce the incidence of a second MI in many patients. Despite this fact, these medications are under prescribed for patients who have had a myocardial infarction. This paper will look at the use of beta-blockers in post-myocardial infarction patients, their effectiveness in preventing a second MI, and the consequences of not prescribing them for post-MI patients.

Beta-blockers are used to treat a variety of problems, including high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and angina, and they have been shown to reduce the risk of recurrent heart attacks and death in people who have already suffered a heart attack (Gottlieb, McCarter & Vogel, 1998). The use of beta-blockers has been estimated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by 22 percent, and to reduce the risk of nonfatal reinfarction by 27 percent (McCormick et al 1999). Patients who have already had a heart attack are at a particularly high risk of a recurrent MI and death. However, many physicians are reluctant to prescribe these drugs for patients with severe congestive heart failure because they can sometimes worsen the condition. Side-effects of beta-blockers include depression, fatigue, and impaired sexual function, and in a Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial, 13 percent of patients were withdrawn from the medication because of side-effects during a two-year followup (Beta-Blocker Trial, 1981). They are contraidicated in patients with heart block, bradycardia, congestive heart failure, reactive airway disease, diabetes mellitus, and depression (McCormick et al, 1999).

McCormick et al looked at 1710 patients, most of whom were males over the age of 65 and white, and who had no private medical insurance. Coexisting medical conditions were present in many patients: 43 percent had angina, 58.1 percent had hypertension, 34.3 percent had diab...

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Mortality from a second myocardial infarction. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 02:18, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1693936.html