The impact of cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities on the short-term outcomes of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction: a population-based perspective

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of our large observational study were to describe the prevalence of cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities in a community-based population of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at all medical centers in central Massachusetts, and to examine whether multiple comorbidities were associated with in-hospital death rates and hospital length of stay. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 2,972 patients hospitalized with AMI at all eleven greater Worcester medical centers in central Massachusetts during the three study years of 2003, 2005, and 2007. RESULTS: The average age of this hospitalized population was 71 years, 55% were men, 93% were Caucasian, and approximately one third had developed an ST segment elevation AMI during the years under study. Hypertension (75%) was the most common cardiac condition identified in patients hospitalized with AMI whereas renal disease (22%) was the most common noncardiac comorbidity diagnosed in this study population. Approximately one in every four hospitalized patients had any four or more of the seven cardiac conditions examined, while one in 13 had any three or more of the five noncardiac conditions studied. Patients with four or more cardiac comorbidities were more than twice as likely to have died during hospitalization and have a prolonged hospital length of stay, compared to those without any cardiac comorbidities. Patients with three or more noncardiac comorbidities had markedly increased odds of dying during hospitalization and having a prolonged hospital stay compared to those with no noncardiac comorbidities previously diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the need for additional contemporary data to improve the short-term outcomes of patients hospitalized with AMI and multiple concurrent medical illnesses.