Do blacks and whites differ in their use of health care for symptoms of coronary heart disease?

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of race in seeking and receipt of care for symptoms of coronary heart disease. METHODS. Data on medical care, sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms, risk factors, income, and insurance were collected in a telephone interview for a random sample of 2030 Black and White adults in inner-city Boston. Rates of care-seeking for symptoms, amounts of delay in seeking care, and rates of receipt of care were compared for Blacks and Whites after adjustment for other characteristics. RESULTS. Before and after adjustment for other factors, Blacks and Whites were equally likely to seek care. Average delay time was shorter for Blacks, particularly Black women. With the exception of a lower rate of referral to cardiologists among Blacks, receipt of care was similar for Blacks and Whites who sought medical attention for symptoms. CONCLUSIONS. In an urban population of Blacks and Whites who were similar in socioeconomic status and access to medical care, there were few racial differences in coronary heart disease-related care patterns.     

Trends in the sensitivity, positive predictive value, false-positive rate, and comparability ratio of hospital discharge diagnosis codes for acute myocardial infarction in four US communities, 1987-2000

Variations in the validity of hospital discharge diagnoses can complicate the assessment of trends in incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To clarify trends in the validity of discharge codes, the authors compared event classification based on published Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study criteria with the presence or absence of an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) hospital discharge code for AMI (code 410). Between 1987 and 2000, 154,836 coronary heart disease events involving hospitalization in the four ARIC communities had ICD-9-CM codes screened for AMI. The sensitivity of ICD-9-CM code 410 for classifying AMI in men (sensitivity = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.63, 0.66) was statistically significantly greater than that found for women (sensitivity = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.62) and was greater in Whites (sensitivity = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.68) than in Blacks (sensitivity = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.53). The ethnic difference was related to a greater frequency of hypertensive heart disease and congestive heart failure codes encompassing AMI among Blacks as compared with Whites. The authors found that although the validity of ICD-9-CM code 410 to identify AMI was generally stable from 1987 through 2000, differences between Blacks and Whites and across geographic locations support investment in validation efforts in ongoing surveillance studies.     

Access to hospitals with high-technology cardiac services: how is race important?

OBJECTIVES. Relatively few hospitals in the United States offer high-technology cardiac services (cardiac catheterization, bypass surgery, or angioplasty). This study examined the association between race and admission to a hospital offering those services. METHODS. Records of 11,410 patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction to hospitals in New York State in 1986 were analyzed. RESULTS. Approximately one third of both White and Black patients presented to hospitals offering high-technology cardiac services. However, in a multivariate model adjusting for home-to-hospital distance, the White-to-Black odds ratio for likelihood of presentation to such a hospital was 1.68 (95% confidence interval = 1.42, 1.98). This discrepancy between the observed and "distance-adjusted" probabilities reflected three phenomena: (1) patients presented to nearby hospitals; (2) Blacks were more likely to live near high-technology hospitals; and (3) there were racial differences in travel patterns. For example, when the nearest hospitals did not include a high-technology hospital, Whites were more likely than Blacks to travel beyond those nearest hospitals to a high-technology hospital. CONCLUSIONS. Whites and Blacks present equally to hospitals offering high-technology cardiac services at the time of acute myocardial infarction. However, there are important underlying racial differences in geographic proximity and tendencies to travel to those hospitals.     

The contribution of diabetes to early deaths from ischemic heart disease: US gender and racial comparisons.

We evaluated the contribution of diabetes mellitus to premature ischemic heart disease mortality among US race- and gender-specific groups in 1986. Among persons aged 45 to 64 years, we examined ischemic heart disease death rates (corrected for underreporting of diabetes on death certificates) by diabetes status and calculated the population attributable risk due to diabetes for each group. Diabetes increased the ischemic heart disease death rate by 9 to 10 times for women but by only 2 to 3 times for men. Racial differences in ischemic heart disease mortality attributable to diabetes were greater for women (Blacks = 39%; Whites = 27%) than for men (Blacks = 19%; Whites = 14%). These discrepancies in the contribution of diabetes to ischemic heart disease mortality warrant further study.     

n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids,fatal ischemic heart disease,and nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relation of the dietary intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, ie, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from fatty fish and alpha-linolenic acid from vegetable oils, with ischemic heart disease among older adults. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the associations of plasma phospholipid concentrations of DHA, EPA, and alpha-linolenic acid as biomarkers of intake with the risk of incident fatal ischemic heart disease and incident nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults. DESIGN: We conducted a case-control study nested in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a cohort study of adults aged > or = 65 y. Cases experienced incident fatal myocardial infarction and other ischemic heart disease death (n = 54) and incident nonfatal myocardial infarction (n = 125). Matched controls were randomly selected (n = 179). We measured plasma phospholipid concentrations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in blood samples drawn approximately 2 y before the event. RESULTS: A higher concentration of combined DHA and EPA was associated with a lower risk of fatal ischemic heart disease, and a higher concentration of alpha-linolenic acid with a tendency to lower risk, after adjustment for risk factors [odds ratio: 0.32 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.78; P = 0.01) and 0.52 (0.24, 1.15; P = 0.1), respectively]. In contrast, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were not associated with nonfatal myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Higher combined dietary intake of DHA and EPA, and possibly alpha-linolenic acid, may lower the risk of fatal ischemic heart disease in older adults. The association of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with fatal ischemic heart disease, but not with nonfatal myocardial infarction, is consistent with possible antiarrhythmic effects of these fatty acids.     

Preconditioning and the human heart

Brief episodes of ischemia prior to coronary occlusion protect the heart during sustained coronary ischemia and is known as ischemic preconditioning. During acute myocardial infarction it is associated with smaller infarction size, less cardiac arrhythmias, and better left ventricular function. Brief balloon inflation in the cardiac catheterization laboratory during coronary intervention enables the operator to have further prolonged balloon inflations with lesser degrees of ischemia. Brief ischemia prior to coronary bypass surgery results in smaller perioperative infarctions and lesser degrees of postoperative arrhythmias. Preconditioning mimetic drugs may have a promising future in simulating ischemic preconditioning.     

Sudden cardiac death in Hispanic Americans and African Americans.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to estimate rates of sudden cardiac death in US Hispanics and African Americans. METHODS: Data on coronary deaths occurring outside of the hospital or in emergency rooms were examined for 1992. RESULTS: In 1992, 53% (8194) of coronary heart disease deaths among Hispanic Americans 25 years of age and older occurred outside of the hospital or in emergency rooms. The percentage was lower among Hispanics than among non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks. Age-adjusted rates per 100,000 were lower in Hispanics than in non-Hispanic Whites or Blacks (Hispanic men, 75; White men, 166; Black men, 209; Hispanic women, 35; White women, 74; Black women, 108). The percentages dying outside of the hospital or in emergency rooms were higher in young persons, those living in nonurban areas, and those who were single. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage and rate of coronary deaths occurring outside of the hospital or in emergency rooms were lower in Hispanics than in non-Hispanics; African Americans had the highest rates. Further research is needed on sudden coronary death in Hispanic Americans and African Americans.     

Serum lycopene,other serum carotenoids,and risk of prostate cancer in US Blacks and Whites

Epidemiologic studies investigating the relation between individual carotenoids and risk of prostate cancer have produced inconsistent results. To further explore these associations and to search for reasons prostate cancer incidence is over 50% higher in US Blacks than Whites, the authors analyzed the serum levels of individual carotenoids in 209 cases and 228 controls in a US multicenter, population-based case-control study (1986-1989) that included comparable numbers of Black men and White men aged 40-79 years. Lycopene was inversely associated with prostate cancer risk (comparing highest with lowest quartiles, odds ratio (OR) = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.36, 1.15; test for trend, p = 0.09), particularly for aggressive disease (comparing extreme quartiles, OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.94; test for trend, p = 0.04). Other carotenoids were positively associated with risk. For all carotenoids, patterns were similar for Blacks and Whites. However, in both the controls and the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, serum lycopene concentrations were significantly lower in Blacks than in Whites, raising the possibility that differences in lycopene exposure may contribute to the racial disparity in incidence. In conclusion, the results, though not statistically significant, suggest that serum lycopene is inversely related to prostate cancer risk in US Blacks and Whites.     

冠心病患者康复护理研究进展

冠心病或缺血性心脏病,由于心脏动脉斑块的形成,导致心肌血流量减少,是最常见的心血管疾病,包括稳定型心绞痛、不稳定型心绞痛、心肌梗死和心源性猝死.常见的症状是胸痛或不适,可能蔓延到肩部、手臂、背部和颈部.近年来我国患有冠心病的人数较多,常发于年龄＞40岁的男性群体,并且受到社会压力、不健康生活习惯及遗传等因素影响,导致该...     

Contemporary management of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. In the United States, approximately 1 of every 6 deaths in 2007 was caused by coronary heart disease. Clinical presentation in the acute setting is mostly due to atherosclerotic plaque rupture leading to flow limitation in the affected vessel, and myocardial ischemia and infarction. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is usually associated with complete occlusion of the coronary artery and carries the worst prognosis in terms of in-hospital mortality. Despite various advances in treatment options, including percutaneous coronary intervention, ischemic heart disease still carries a significant morbidity and mortality. In this article, we aim to provide a summary of a few key advances in the management of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.     

The impact of the family and lay others on care-seeking during life-threatening episodes of suspected coronary artery disease

To understand the impact of the family on care-seeking during a suspected episode of acute coronary artery disease (CAD) interviews were conducted with 1102 individuals hospitalized for a suspected myocardial infarction. Analyzing the care-seeking behavior of these individuals within life threatening illness behavior and situational perspectives, bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed that family members, especially a spouse, had both positive and negative influences on the duration of time between acute symptom onset and arrival at a hospital emergency room. To reduce both the morbid and mortal consequences of acute CAD it is recommended that we direct our intervention efforts toward warning the public of situational circumstances which contribute to extended self treatment and evaluation during acute episodes of CAD.     

The relation between serum albumin levels and risk of coronary heart disease in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial.

The relation between serum albumin levels and subsequent incidence of myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease deaths was evaluated using stored serum from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT). There were 91 coronary heart disease deaths, 113 myocardial infarction patients, and 405 controls matched to cases within 5 years of age, treatment group, and clinic site. There was a highly significant inverse relation between serum albumin level and risk of coronary heart disease. Individuals with a baseline level of serum albumin greater than or equal to 4.7 g/dl had an odds ratio of 0.45 as compared with individuals with a baseline level of serum albumin less than 4.4 g/dl. The relation persisted after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, smoking, and serum cholesterol). The association was stronger for coronary heart disease deaths than for surviving myocardial infarction patients, and for cigarette smokers as compared with cigarette nonsmokers. The deaths studied occurred in the time period at least 6 years after the sera had been obtained and up to 10.5 years of follow-up, and the myocardial infarctions studied occurred within the first 6.5 years of follow-up. There was no consistent relation between time and death due to coronary heart disease or myocardial infarction and albumin levels. Albumin levels are related to the acute phase reaction. Lower albumin levels may be a marker of persistent injury to arteries and progression of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The consistent relation between albumin and coronary heart disease risk requires further evaluation.     

Family history of coronary heart disease, a strong risk factor for myocardial infarction interacting with other cardiovascular risk factors: results from the Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program (SHEEP)

We explored the relation between family history of coronary heart disease and the risk of myocardial infarction in a case-control study of subjects, 45 to 70 years of age, living in Stockholm, Sweden. Our cases comprised 1091 male and 531 female first-time acute myocardial infarction patients who had survived at least 28 days after their infarction. Referents were randomly selected from the population from which the cases were derived. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of myocardial infarction was 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-2.6) for men reporting > or = 1 affected parent or sibling, compared with men with no family history of coronary heart disease, and 3.4 (95% CI = 2.1-5.9) for those reporting > or = 2 affected parents or siblings. The corresponding OR for women were 2.1 (95% CI = 1.5-3.0) and 4.4 (95% CI = 2.4-8.1). We found evidence for synergistic interactions in women exposed to family history of coronary heart disease in combination with current smoking and with a high quotient between low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (>4.0), respectively, which yielded adjusted synergy index scores of 2.9 (95% CI = 1.2-7.2) and 3.8 (95% CI = 1.5-9.7), respectively. Similarly, in men we found evidence for interaction for the co-exposure of family history of coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Our study shows that family history of coronary heart disease is not only a strong risk factor for myocardial infarction in both sexes, but that its effect is synergistic with other cardiovascular risk factors as well.     

Racial and ethnic differences in the use of invasive cardiac procedures among cardiac patients in Los Angeles County, 1986 through 1988.

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of the study was to compare use of invasive cardiovascular procedures among Latino, Asian, African-American, and White patients. METHODS. In a cross-sectional study of hospital discharge data, multiple logistic regression was used to model use of coronary artery angiography, bypass graft surgery, and angioplasty among adult Los Angeles County residents discharged from California hospitals between 1986 and 1988 with primary diagnoses consistent with possible ischemic heart disease. RESULTS. After potential demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical confounders, including hospital procedure volume, were controlled, Latinos were less likely than Whites to undergo angiography (odds ratio [OR] = 0.90) and bypass graft surgery (OR = 0.87). African Americans were less likely to receive bypass graft surgery (OR = 0.62) and angioplasty (OR = 0.80). Asians were as likely as Whites to receive each procedure. The impact of adjustment for hospital procedure volume was greater for Latinos and Asians than for African Americans. CONCLUSIONS. Administrative data suggest that disparities in use of invasive cardiovascular procedures are not limited to African Americans. Hospital procedure volume appears to be an important factor related to such disparities. The causes of racial/ethnic differences in reported procedure rates remain unclear.     

A Case Study of the Impact of Inaccurate Cause-of-Death Reporting on Health Disparity Tracking: New York City Premature Cardiovascular Mortality

Objectives. Heart disease death overreporting is problematic in New York City (NYC) and other US jurisdictions. We examined whether overreporting affects the premature (< 65 years) heart disease death rate disparity between non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites in NYC.Methods. We identified overreporting hospitals and used counts of premature heart disease deaths at reference hospitals to estimate corrected counts. We then corrected citywide, age-adjusted premature heart disease death rates among Blacks and Whites and a White–Black premature heart disease death disparity.Results. At overreporting hospitals, 51% of the decedents were White compared with 25% at reference hospitals. Correcting the heart disease death counts at overreporting hospitals decreased the age-adjusted premature heart disease death rate 10.1% (from 41.5 to 37.3 per 100 000) among Whites compared with 4.2% (from 66.2 to 63.4 per 100 000) among Blacks. Correction increased the White–Black disparity 6.1% (from 24.6 to 26.1 per 100 000).Conclusions. In 2008, NYC’s White–Black premature heart disease death disparity was underestimated because of overreporting by hospitals serving larger proportions of Whites. Efforts to reduce overreporting may increase the observed disparity, potentially obscuring any programmatic or policy-driven advances.Heart disease remains the number one killer of men and women in New York City (NYC) and the United States.1,2 In 2003, the age-adjusted coronary heart disease death rate was 1.7 times higher in NYC than nationally; yet, on average, NYC’s heart disease risk profile was better than that of the United States.3,4 The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a cross-sectional validation study to investigate this paradox, comparing the cause of death on the death certificate with a validated cause of death determined by a blinded medical team. In a sample of 444 reviewed cases, coronary heart disease deaths were overreported by 91% overall and increased with decedent’s age: 51% among decedents aged between 35 and 74 years, 94% among decedents aged between 75 and 84 years, and 137% for decedents aged 85 years or older.4 Overreporting of coronary heart disease has also been found in other US jurisdictions.5More generally, overreporting of heart disease, comprising rheumatic, hypertensive, and chronic ischemic heart diseases; acute myocardial infarction; cardiomyopathy; and heart failure, varies substantially by hospital in NYC.6 This is potentially problematic because patient demographics differ among NYC hospitals because of residential segregation, insurance status, and health services provided.7,8 As a consequence, the prevalence of heart disease overreporting likely differs by decedents’ demographic characteristics including ethnicity. If this is the case, overreporting of heart disease deaths may distort observed racial/ethnic disparities in heart disease death rates. Premature death (i.e., at ages < 65 years) rates are of particular interest because they contribute disproportionately to the years of life lost from heart disease. Such disparity measures are used extensively by the New York City DOHMH to guide health policy, design public health programs, and measure the impact of local and national public health interventions. In addition, they are a part of the Healthy People 2020 national health objectives and DOHMH’s Take Care New York comprehensive health policy goals.9,10The goal of this study was to better understand the impact of heart disease overreporting, which occurs at all ages and among all races, on the measurement of the premature heart disease death disparity between Blacks and Whites in NYC. We assessed the impact of vital data quality issues on health disparity tracking. Our methods will be useful to other jurisdictions faced with similar overreporting issues or other cause-of-death data quality issues in any disease category, and our results may suggest outcomes in other urban settings.     

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in blacks and whites: the Minnesota Heart Survey.

Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 1985 and 1986 to measure the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors in Blacks and Whites. A home interview was followed by a survey center visit. Participation rates were 78 per cent and 90 per cent for the home interview and 65 per cent and 68 per cent for the survey center visit. Adjusted for age and education, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 3 to 4 mmHg higher in Blacks. Hypertension was more prevalent in Blacks than Whites (44 per cent vs 28 per cent); serum total cholesterol was approximately 0.4 mmol/l lower in Black than White men and 0.08 mmol/l lower in Black than White women. Among men, more Blacks than Whites were current cigarette smokers (44 per cent vs 30 per cent); however, White smokers smoked more cigarettes per day (26 vs 17). Similar differences were noted for women, although the prevalence and quantity of cigarette consumption was less than men. The excess prevalence of these CHD risk factors in Blacks, especially among women, may explain their elevated CHD and stroke mortality rates in the Twin Cities.     

Trends in coronary heart disease in Queensland, 1971-1980. An interpretation

Routine data on mortality and hospital activity were used to estimate changes in coronary heart disease mortality, case fatality, and hospitalizations in the Australian state of Queensland over the decade 1971-1980. Acute myocardial infarction (International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 410) and other ischemic heart disease (ICD 411-414) were considered separately. For acute myocardial infarction, age-adjusted total mortality declined by about one fourth in both men and women; in-hospital mortality decreased somewhat more and deaths out of hospital correspondingly less. The age-adjusted case fatality ratio fell by the same amount (29%), in both sexes. Similar trends occurred at all ages. Admission rates decreased 11% in men and 18% in women. Similar patterns were evident for other ischemic heart disease except for admissions, which rose 23% among men and remained at the same level in women. These findings suggest that both declining incidence, particularly in the form of fewer deaths out of hospital, and improvements in care may have contributed to the general decline in coronary heart disease mortality in this community. Without direct measures of incidence or changing disease severity, the relative contributions of each factor cannot be examined.     

老年急性心肌梗死并心源性休克16例临床分析

目的根据急性心肌梗死并心源性休克的老年人患者的临床表现症状进行研究,分析使用不同方法对老年急性心肌梗死并心源性休克症状的干预效果,根据分析结果观察患者的预后情况。方法将我院急性心肌梗死并心源性休克的60例患者按年龄分为2组,将其中年龄在65岁或者以上的患者设为老年组,人数为16例;另外一组65岁以下的患者为成年组,人数为44例。另外将16例老年急性心肌梗死并心源性休克的患者根据其不同灌注治疗方式分成2组,将其中9例患者设置为研究组,临床治疗时给予经皮冠状动脉介入方法治疗;另外7例患者设置为对照组,临床治疗时使用非介入治疗。观察2组患者治疗前的临床症状,然后根据2组患者接受不同再灌注治疗后老年心肌梗死并心源性休克症状的预后进行比较其差异。结果经过临床对老年急性心肌梗死并心源性休克患者使用不同干预方式进行研究发现,患者接受经皮冠状动脉介入治疗与非介入治疗的患者相比可以有效的降低患者急性心肌梗死并心源性休克的死亡率(P<0.05);研究组的患者临床症状为不典型的患者多,冠心病危险因素和并发症多(P<0.05)。结论在对老年急性心肌梗死并心源性休克患者的临床治疗情况分析,发现介入治疗可以有效的改善老年急性心肌梗死病心源性休克的的症状,提高患者预后情况。在临床治疗时一定要密切观察患者的生命体征以及临床症状表现,根据患者所发生的并发症制定相应的治疗以及护理措施,要及时对老年急性心肌梗死并心源性休克的患者及时给予介入方法的治疗,改善患者的临床症状,提高患者的生活质量,值得临床推广与应用。     

Are the correlates of cigarette smoking initiation different for black and white adolescents?

BACKGROUND: Studies of adolescent smoking suggest that the causes of smoking initiation may differ for Blacks and Whites. METHODS: Correlates of smoking initiation were examined among 1,277 nonsmokers, ages 12-14, who completed questionnaires in their homes. The analyses examined relationships between smoking initiation and 11 explanatory variables using logistic regression with the combined sample and with Black and White samples. RESULTS: Over two years, 24 percent of Whites and 14 percent of Blacks started to smoke. Whites were more likely to start smoking at age 12 and Blacks at age 14. Having a best friend who smoked increased the odds of initiating smoking over twofold for Whites but had no effect on the odds of smoking for Blacks. CONCLUSIONS: Whites initiate smoking earlier than Blacks and are more likely to be influenced by friend behavior.     

Socioeconomic status and multiple myeloma among US blacks and whites

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and risk of multiple myeloma among Blacks and Whites in the United States. METHODS: This population-based case-control study included 573 cases (206 Blacks and 367 Whites) with new diagnoses of multiple myeloma identified between August 1, 1986, and April 30, 1989, and 2131 controls (967 Blacks and 1164 Whites) from 3 US geographic areas. Information on occupation, income, and education was obtained by personal interview. RESULTS: Inverse gradients in risk were associated with occupation-based SES, income, and education. Risks were significantly elevated for subjects in the lowest categories of occupation-based SES (odds ratio [OR] = 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16, 2.53), education (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.75), and income (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.93). Occupation-based low SES accounted for 37% of multiple myeloma in Blacks and 17% in Whites, as well as 49% of the excess incidence in Blacks. Low education and low income accounted for 17% and 28% of the excess incidence in Blacks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the measured SES-related factors account for a substantial amount of the Black-White differential in multiple myeloma incidence.