Vascular Disease Patients Face Recurring Heart Attacks and Strokes

Posted on Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Filed under Health, News

There is no easy way out for those battling vascular disease. Despite treatments and medications, a large international study shows patients have high rates of multiple heart attacks and strokes that may lead to hospitalizations and death.

The international REACH (Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health) Registry, presented by a researcher from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine examined data of over 30 thousand patients. Patients who had vascular disease had a 28.4 percent rate of reoccurring attacks just after three years of their last vascular episode. The data presented also named North America, including the United States, as having above average rates for recurring heart attacks, strokes, hospitalizations and death.

"We are surprised by the high rate of these recurring vascular events," Mark J. Alberts, lead author, M.D. professor of neurology at the Feinberg School and director of the stroke program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital was quoted as saying, "We know how to prevent vascular disease and the events that it produces. This points to the need for better prevention, better use of medications and a need to develop more potent medications. These are the number one and two causes of death throughout the world."

The cost of recurring vascular events in the United States alone is in the billions. Hospitalization is the leading factor driving health care costs. Adopting healthy lifestyles, with a healthier diet, and regular exercise are necessary to reducing health care expenses and the likelihood of reoccurring heart attacks, and strokes according to researchers.