Cardiac surgery 'more risky for people in poorer areas'
Tuesday 14th April 2009
People living in poorer postcode areas in England are more at risk of dying after having cardiac surgery than their wealthier counterparts, it has been revealed.
Research published on the British Medical Journal online suggests that of those patients who underwent cardiac surgery between 1997 and 2007 in five hospitals in the north-west and in Birmingham, 3.25 per cent died in theatre while 12.4 per cent died during a five-year follow-up.
According to the study's authors, smoking, obesity and diabetes were all associated with lower socioeconomic status and each were responsible for a reduction in survival rates.
However, other factors related to deprivation also had an impact.
They said: "This study raises the concern that the effect of proven healthcare interventions, like cardiac surgery, may not be equally distributed across socioeconomic boundaries."
Recently, the Southend Standard reported that charity Take Heart had donated nearly £10,000 to Southend Hospital to enable it to purchase new cardiac equipment.
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