BackgroundCoronary heart disease (CHD) represents often the underlying conditions for the development of heart failure (HF). We aimed at exploring the burden and timing of HF complicating an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), using the total population of AMI patients hospitalized during 2001–2009 in Norway.Methods and ResultsA total of 86 771 patients with a first AMI during 2001–2009 and without previous HF were identified in the “Cardiovascular Disease in Norway” project and followed until HF development, death, or December 31, 2009. In 16 219 patients (18.7%), HF was present on admission or developed during hospitalization for the incident AMI. HF occurrence varied according to age (8.9%, 15.2%, and 25.6% among men and 10.2%, 16.8%, and 27.1% among women ages 25–54, 55–74, and 75–85 years). Among 63 853 patients discharged alive without HF, 8058 (12.6%) were hospitalized with or died because of HF during a median follow‐up time of 3.2 years. HF incidence rates (IRs) per 1000 person‐years during follow‐up were 31 (95% CI, 30–32) for men and 46 (95% CI, 44–47) for women (P<0.01). IRs of HF were highest during the first 6 months of follow‐up, after which they leveled off and remained stable until the end of follow‐up.ConclusionsIn this nation‐wide cohort study, we observed that HF remains a frequent complication of the first AMI; both during the acute phase and shortly after the discharge from the hospital.

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the trends in 28-day and 1-year mortality rates in patients hospitalized for a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Norway during the period 2001-2009. Potential age group and gender differences in these trends were also examined.Design, subjects and setting. In this retrospective nationwide cohort study, patients hospitalized for a first AMI between 2001 and 2009 were identified in the Cardiovascular Disease in Norway 1994-2009 (CVDNOR) project and followed for 1 year.Main outcome measures. Trends in 28-day and 1-year mortality [both all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality] were investigated.Results. A total of 115 608 patients (60.6% men) were hospitalized for a first AMI during the study period. Mortality at 28 days was reduced annually by 3.8% overall and by 6.7%, 4.1% and 2.6% in patients aged 25-64, 65-84 and ≥85 years, respectively (all P trend < 0.001). In addition, 1-year all-cause mortality was reduced annually by 2.0% overall (P trend < 0.001) and by 3.7% (P trend = 0.02), 2.5% (P trend < 0.001) and 1.1% (P trend < 0.001) in patients aged 25-64, 65-84 and ≥85 years, respectively. Furthermore, 1-year CVD mortality was reduced overall by 6.2% annually; a reduction was observed in all age groups. Finally, 1-year non-CVD mortality increased annually overall by 3.9% due to an increase in patients aged ≥65 years.Conclusion. Mortaity at 28 days after the first AMI declinedin Norway between 2001 and 2009 in both men and women and in all age groups. All-cause mortality at 1 year also declined both in men and women due to decreases in CVD mortality rates, whilst non-CVD mortality rates increased amongst patients ≥65 years of age.

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Background-In studies using patient administrative data, the identification of the first (incident) acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in an individual is based on retrospectively excluding previous hospitalizations for the same condition during a fixed time period (lookback period [LP]). Our aim was to investigate whether the length of the LP used to identify the first AMI had an effect on trends in AMI incidence and subsequent survival in a nationwide study. Methods and Results-All