Indicator Report - Heart Attack: Emergency Department Visits
Why Is This Important?
Heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) are the #1 killer of Americans. There are several types of risk factors that have been associated with heart attacks. Some of these include family history, high blood pressure, tobacco use, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, diabetes, obesity, and exposures to environmental contaminants.Recent studies have shown significant relationships between air pollutants and increased risk of heart attack or other forms of coronary heart disease. Particulate matter (pm 2.5) has shown to be associated with increased risk in particularly sensitive subpopulations such as the elderly, patients with pre-existing heart disease, and those who are survivors of heart attack.
Annual Age-adjusted Rate of Heart Attack ED Visits Among Persons 35 and Over by Year, Utah, 1996-2006
Data Sources
Emergency Department Encounter Database, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, Utah Department of Health.Other Views
Definition
A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction. This occurs when a coronary artery is completely blocked by a clot resulting in lack of blood flow to the heart and death of part of the heart muscle. In 2007, the American Heart Association estimated 565,000 new myocardial infarctions and 300,000 recurrent myocardial infarctions occured.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | Persons who have been admitted to the emergency department for a myocardial infarction. |
| Denominator: | Utah population. |
Page Content Updated On 10/07/2008,
Published on 04/16/2009
