Skip to main content

Study Looks at Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on STEMI Patients

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 9, 2023 -- Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the first COVID-19 lockdown have reduced survival, according to a study published online June 7 in the European Heart Journal-Quality of Care & Clinical Outcomes.

Mattia Lunardi, M.D, from the University of Galway in Ireland, and colleagues predicted the long-term health outcomes in terms of survival and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and cost of reduced treatment of STEMIs that occurred during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom and Spain compared to the expected prelockdown outcomes for an equivalent group of patients.

The researchers found that compared with patients presenting with a STEMI prepandemic, STEMI patients during the first U.K. lockdown were predicted to lose an average of 1.55 life-years and 1.17 QALYs. The total additional lifetime costs calculated at the population level were €41.3 million based on an annual STEMI incidence of 49,332 cases, mainly driven by the costs of work absenteeism. STEMI patients during the lockdown in Spain were expected to survive 2.03 years less than prepandemic patients, with a corresponding reduction of 1.63 in projected QALYs. Reduced percutaneous coronary intervention access would lead to additional costs of €88.6 million at the population level.

"Patients and societies will pay the price of reduced heart attack treatment during just one month of lockdown for years to come," a coauthor said in a statement. "Public awareness campaigns should emphasize the benefits of timely care, even during a pandemic or other crisis."

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Women, Black and Hispanic Adults Have Lower Angiography/PCI Use in NSTEMI

THURSDAY, May 16, 2024 -- Disparities are evident in the interventional management of non-ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and in STEMI incidence and mortality...

Some Children Prescribed Nonrecommended Meds for COVID-19

MONDAY, May 13, 2024 -- Despite national guidelines, a small proportion of children were prescribed ineffective and potentially harmful medications for acute COVID-19, according...

Following Drop After COVID-19 Onset, Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing Is Up

WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2024 -- There was an initial decrease in inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions following onset of COVID-19, followed by an increase, according to a study...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.