Original article
Women and mexican Americans receive fewer cardiovascular drugs following myocardial infarction than men and non-hispanic whites: The Corpus Christi Heart Project, 1988–1990

https://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(95)00572-2Get rights and content

Abstract

Mortality following myocardial infarction (MI) is greater among women than men and among Mexican Americans than non-Hispanic whites. Because therapy can affect mortality following MI, we examined differences in discharge therapy among these groups. Data regarding discharge therapy of 982 patients in the Corpus Christi Heart Project showed that women received fewer cardiovascular drugs than men, and Mexican Americans received fewer cardiovascular drugs than non-Hispanic whites. In multivariate analysis adjusting for age, cigarettes smoking, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and serum cholesterol, the odds ratio for receipt of cardiovascular medications was 0.51 (95% CI: 0.28–0.93) for women versus men and 0.62 (0.3–1.15) for Mexican Americans versus non-Hispanic whites. Beta-blockers were prescribed rarely. Thus, treatment differences between ethnic and gender groups were observed following MI. Further research is needed to determine both the reasons for these differences and the extent to which these differences contribute to the observed survival patterns following MI.

References (42)

  • Effect of enalapril on mortality in severe congestive heart failure: results of the Cooperative North Scandinavian Enalapril survival Study (CONSENSUS)

    N Engl J Med

    (1987)
  • The SOLVD Investigators

    Effect of enalapril on survival in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions and congestive heart failure

    N Engl J Med

    (1991)
  • JN Cohn et al.

    A comparison of enalapril with hydralazine-isosorbide dinitrate in the treatment of chronic congestive heart failure

    N Engl J Med

    (1991)
  • MH Alderman

    Prevention of myocardial infarction

    Am J Cardiol

    (1992)
  • Panel Expert

    Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults

    Arch Intern Med

    (1988)
  • JC LaRosa et al.

    The cholesterol facts: a summary of evidence relating dietary fats, serum cholesterol, and coronary heart disease: a joint statement by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

    Circulation

    (1990)
  • National Research Council, Committee on Diet and Health
  • S Yusuf et al.

    Overview of results of randomized clinical trials in heart disease. II) Unstable angina, heart failure, primary prevention with aspirin, and risk factor modification

    JAMA

    (1988)
  • G Rose et al.

    Plasma cholesterol concentration and death from coronary heart disease: 10 year results of the Whitehall Study

    Brit Med J

    (1986)
  • JE Rossouw et al.

    The value of lowering cholesterol after myocardial infarction

    N Engl J Med

    (1990)
  • MH Frick et al.

    Helsinki Heart Study: primary prevention trial with gemfibrozil in middle-aged men with dyslipidemia: safety of treatment, changes in risk factors, and incidence of coronary disease

    N Engl J Med

    (1987)
  • Cited by (0)

    This investigation was supported by Grant Number HL38429, awarded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and by a grant awarded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Bonn, Germany.

    View full text