News Brief

Johns Hopkins Health After 50 (Subscription)

Quoting from the journal, Circulation, the editors of this newsletter write:

“One way to prevent a second heart attack is by making it to the pharmacy.”

The items says that a review of 4,591 patients hospitalized for a heart attack showed that within three months of leaving the hospital, 25% had picked up none or only some of their medications.

“Compared with people who filled all of their prescriptions, patient who only picked up some of their medications had a 40% greater chance of death within one year.

“Death was 80% more likely among people who filled no prescriptions,” the newsletter says.

Source: Johns Hopkins Health After 50, July, 2008.

Citation: Circulation. Vol. 117, p. 1028.