Early Follow-up After Acute MI Improves Medication Adherence

Follow-up within 1 month of hospital discharge is good; collaborative follow-up with a cardiologist and a PCP is better.

Guidelines (Journal Watch Cardiology Sep 12 2007 and Aug 27 2004) recommend early outpatient follow-up after hospitalization for acute MI, but little scientific evidence exists to support the recommendation. Investigators evaluated 1516 individuals from the multicenter Prospective Registry Evaluating Outcomes After Myocardial Infarction: Events and Recovery (PREMIER) to assess whether early follow-up — defined as a primary care physician (PCP) or cardiologist visit within 1 month of discharge — affects use of evidence-based therapy after hospitalization for acute MI. Medications included aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, and statins.

Prescription rates at discharge were similar for all follow-up groups. T…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute