The fall in mortality from ischemic heart disease in Australia: has survival after myocardial infarction improved?

Trends in mortality and survival after myocardial infarction (MI) were studied by use of computerised death and hospital discharge records for 25 to 64 year old residents of the Perth Statistical Division between 1971 and 1979. Highly significant falls in ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality rates were found for men (18%) and women (29%) but 4, 26 and 52 week survival after hospital admission for MI remained constant at around 88%, 84% and 81% respectively. Further, as 75% of all IHD deaths between 1971 and 1979 occurred before the victim was admitted to hospital, the survival of those receiving treatment would have had to be greatly improved to influence total mortality from IHD appreciably. As the age and sex composition of persons hospitalised for MI and the proportion of MI victims hospitalised did not change during the study period it would seem that improved survival after hospital admission for MI did not contribute to the fall in IHD deaths between 1971 and 1979.