Warning over heart surgery risks
Updated on 03 April 2009
People living in the most deprived areas of England are more likely to die after heart surgery than those in more affluent areas, according to a study.
Data from 44,902 patients followed for up to a decade found an increased risk of dying among poorer people, even after factors such as diabetes and obesity were taken into account.
The information was collected from five hospitals in Birmingham and the North West and the participants ranged in age from 58 to 71, with an average age of 65.
All patients underwent heart surgery from 1997 to 2007 and their level of deprivation was calculated using data from the 2001 census.
A score was developed looking at areas such as unemployment, whether people owned a car, overcrowding and the types of jobs people did.
Patients were also classed as current smokers (21%), ex-smokers (48%) and never-smokers (30%).
A total of 16% of patients had Type 1 or 2 diabetes while 54% had high blood pressure.
Their body mass index (BMI) was also calculated to determine if they were obese.
The study found that 1,461 patients (3.25%) died in hospital following their surgery and 5,563 patients (12.4%) died in the first five years after surgery.
People in deprived areas were all more likely to smoke, be obese and diabetes.
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