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Low household income can increase risk of death after heart surgery

Swedish study examines income, death association in population with universal health care

Date:
October 19, 2015
Source:
American College of Cardiology
Summary:
Low household income was associated with higher risk of death after cardiac surgery in Sweden despite that the entire population has access to free health care, according to a new study.
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Low household income was associated with higher risk of death after cardiac surgery in Sweden despite that the entire population has access to free health care, according to a study published online today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The association between low socioeconomic status and a higher risk of heart disease and death is well-known. However, most studies are conducted in populations without universal health care coverage, where socioeconomic status can determine access to health care.

Researchers in this study looked at patients in Sweden who had cardiac surgery over a 14-year span. All patients had access to the same health care plan and hospital quality under the country's universal health care plan. All cardiac surgeries in Sweden are performed at a small number of centers with similar standards of care and performance.

According to the researchers, the association between low income and death remained the same despite other socioeconomic status variables, comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors. The study shows that the impact of socioeconomic status on death cannot be explained by disparities in health care alone and ways to better implement secondary prevention measures for low-income patients should be explored.

Limitations of the study include that registry data used did not include information on lifestyle factors such as smoking habits, job strain, diet, level of physical activity and compliance with medication. Also, there was no data on medication or health care during the follow-up period.


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Materials provided by American College of Cardiology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Magnus Dalén, Torbjörn Ivert, Martin J. Holzmann, Ulrik Sartipy. Household Disposable Income and Long-Term Survival After Cardiac Surgery. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2015; 66 (17): 1888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2015.08.036

Cite This Page:

American College of Cardiology. "Low household income can increase risk of death after heart surgery." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 October 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151019142750.htm>.
American College of Cardiology. (2015, October 19). Low household income can increase risk of death after heart surgery. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151019142750.htm
American College of Cardiology. "Low household income can increase risk of death after heart surgery." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151019142750.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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