In Great Britain, significantly fewer people die as a result of a heart attack. This is what the latest research has shown. But what about Germany? Is this trend also evident here?
BILD asked.
Fact is: Mortality after a Infarction is highest in the first four weeks. The reason is complications that can lead to sudden cardiac death. The good news: Even in Germany Fewer and fewer people die after a heart attack.
Prof. Christiane Tiefenbacher, Chief Physician for Cardiology at Marienhospital in Weseltells BILD: “Between 2011 and 2021, heart attack mortality in Germany fell by 26 percent among men and by as much as 33 percent among women. That is a huge success.”
What are the reasons for the decline?
As in the UK, progress in the medicinal Treatment of heart attack patients.
Prof. Tiefenbacher, who is also a board member of German Heart Foundation is: “We have better medication today than we did in the past. In addition, aftercare after a heart attack has improved. And there have been advances in initial care, for example through better stents.”
Prof. Dr. Christiane Tiefenbacher (front) is chief physician of the Clinic for Cardiology, Angiology and Pulmonology in Wesel.
Which pills are responsible?
These mainly include so-called ACE inhibitors and sartans, which act on the blood vessels and can lower blood pressure. Also new: so-called SGLT-2 inhibitors.
These are actually diabetes medications. They can lower the sugar level in the blood of diabetics. In cardiology, the drugs improve heart and muscle metabolism and kidney function. They also have a mild diuretic effect. All of this together results in significantly better chances of recovery after a heart attack.