Researchers have praised healthcare systems in Australia and New Zealand, after both nations recorded some of the world’s best long-term recovery rates for heart attack sufferers.
University of Queensland and Prince Charles Hospital cardiologist Associate Professor Isuru Ranasinghe and UQ Faculty of Medicine’s Dr Linh Ngo contributed to a study which found 62.3 per cent of heart attack sufferers in these nations lived a further seven years or more.
“The survival rates we reported exceed those in the United States and England and are in the realm of Sweden, which had the best reported seven-year survival rate,” Dr Ranasinghe said.
“From the 239,402 admissions with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we found the survival rate in Australian and New Zealand hospitals was 76.2 per cent after three years, 68.6 per cent after five years, and 62.3 per cent at seven years.
“In particular, the prognosis for patients aged under 65 was excellent, with survival rates after seven years exceeding 85 per cent.
“Improved, evidence-based care is likely to explain these high survival rates, with secondary preventative measures such as targeted medicines increasing substantially since the year 2000.
