People with this condition are more likely to have complications after a heart attack

Heart disease is one of the most common medical conditions affecting people in the United States. It is also the deadliest. Now, new data suggests that people with autoimmune diseases are more likely to die or have more heart attacks after their first heart attack.

These people were also less likely to receive common surgeries after cardiac events, likely due to the fact that they were at greater risk of further complications.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at whether or not people with autoimmune diseases were more likely to develop health complications after a heart attack.

Historically, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, and more have likely increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. People with these conditions are more likely to suffer from chronic inflammation and a variety of issues while also being exposed to long-term medications, making them the perfect target for a variety of conditions.

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Over 1.6 million people were analyzed for the study, with researchers obtaining this data between 2014 and 2019 through the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review File. All subjects were over 65 years of age and had been hospitalized with a diagnosis of heart attack during this period of time.

Researchers discovered that people with autoimmune diseases were younger than those who didn’t have the disease, and a large percentage of them were women. They also found that people with autoimmune diseases were more likely to die from any cause (15%), more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure (12%), more likely to have another heart attack (8%), and more likely to have another surgery related to their arteries (6%).

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“Conventional CVD (cardiovascular) risk factors are accentuated in this population and how these risk factors manifest themselves is also unique,” said study lead author Heba Wassif, MD, MPH disease have lower cholesterol levels, a phenomenon known as the lipid paradox “, she said. “Physical activity, which is highly recommended to improve cardiovascular outcomes, can be limited by joint pain. In addition, some disease-modifying agents may increase cardiovascular risk. Knowing these nuances and a team-based approach can improve results.”

Autoimmune diseases are some of the most mysterious diseases humans have to live with. Often doctors and experts don’t have all the answers, making treatment difficult and uncomfortable. These conditions are also incredibly risky and affect people’s health in numerous ways.