Primary Angioplasty: Efficacy and Outcomes

Abstract

Internationally ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is the single most common cause of death, and its frequency is increasing. The relative incidences of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) are decreasing and increasing, respectively. In European countries, the incidence rate for STEMI ranges from 43 to 144 per 100,000 population per year. Similarly, the reported adjusted incidence rates from the USA decreased from 133 per 100,000 in 1999 to 50 per 100,000 in 2008, whereas the incidence of NSTEMI remained constant or increased slightly. STEMI is more common in younger than in older people and is more common in men than in women.