Sweden's hospitals are missing heart attacks that don't fit the typical pattern
A major registry study reveals that patients suffering type 2 heart attacks—caused by supply-demand imbalances rather than blocked arteries—receive fewer diagnostic tests and protective medications than traditional heart attack patients, with no improvement over the past decade. The finding has serious implications for hospital protocols and patient outcomes across healthcare systems.
Originaltitel: Management and outcome trends in type 2 myocardial infarction: an investigation from the SWEDEHEART registry
<p>Despite poor prognosis, patients with type 2 myocardial infarction (MI) tend to be underdiagnosed and undertreated compared to those with type 1 MI. Whether this discrepancy has improved over time is uncertain. We conducted a registry-based cohort study investigating type 2 MI patients managed at Swedish coronary care units (n = 14,833) during 2010–2022. Multivariable-adjusted changes (first three vs last three calendar years of the observation period) were assessed regarding diagnostic examinations (echocardiography, coronary assessment), provision of cardioprotective medications (betablockers, renin–angiotensin–aldosterone-system inhibitors, statins) and 1-year all-cause mortality. Compared to type 1 MI patients (n = 184,329), those with type 2 MI less often had diagnostic examinations and cardioprotective medications. Increases in the use of echocardiography (OR 1.08 [95% confidence interval 1.06–1.09]) and coronary assessment (OR 1.06 [95% confidence interval 1.04–1.08]) were smaller compared to type 1 MI (p<sub>interaction</sub> < 0.001). The provision of medications did not increase in type 2 MI. All-cause mortality rate in type 2 MI was 25.4% without temporal change (OR 1.03 [95% confidence interval 0.98–1.07]). Taken together, the provision of medications and all-cause mortality did ot improve in type 2 MI despite modest increases in diagnostic procedures. This emphasizes the need of defining optimal care pathways in these patients.</p>