Heart attack: follow-up treatment often inadequate

Although all options are available, in many cases heart attack patients continue to receive inadequate follow-up treatment. They are sometimes not prescribed the necessary medication and do not achieve the optimal cholesterol and blood pressure levels to prevent another heart attack. This is what German scientists have discovered in a study at 150 centers. After a heart attack, people need particularly intensive care, including the guaranteed intake of medication to prevent new blood clots, to lower cholesterol and to reduce blood pressure – in each case to ideal levels. In addition, a proverbially “heart-healthy” lifestyle is required. It turned out that only around 38 percent of test subjects knew the blood pressure levels they needed to achieve. The situation was even worse with cholesterol levels: only 8.2 percent knew their target values.