Long-term survival in patients with different combinations of evidence-based medications after incident acute myocardial infarction: results from the MONICA/KORA Myocardial Infarction Registry.

Background: Use of the four evidence-based medications [EBMs: antiplatelet agent, beta-blocker, statin and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB)] after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has a clear impact on 1-year survival. Aim of this study was to evaluate the association between different EBM combinations at discharge and long-term survival after AMI.

Methods: From a German population-based AMI registry, 2,886 men and 958 women were included, aged 28-74 years, hospitalized with an incident AMI between 2000 and 2008. All data were collected by standardized interviews and chart review. All-cause mortality was assessed for all registered persons in 2010. Median follow-up time was 6.0 years (interquartile range 4.1 years). Survival analyses and multivariate Cox regression analysis were conducted.

Results: Of the 3,844 patients, 70.3 % were prescribed all four EBMs; 23.8 % received three, 4.6 % two, and 1.3 % were discharged with one or no EBM. Long-term survival was 71.7 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 55.4-82.9 %], 64.7 % (95 % CI 59.2-69.6 ) and 60.2 % (95 % CI 51.9-67.5 %) in patients with four, three and <3 EBMs, respectively. Patients prescribed three or less EBMs without ACEI/ARB showed similar long-term survival to those receiving four EBMs. In Cox regression analysis after adjustment for confounding variables, the hazard ratio for long-term mortality in patients with four EBMs versus three or less EBMs was 0.63 (95 % CI 0.53-0.74).

Conclusions: Prescribing of a combination of all four EBMs appeared to improve clinical outcomes in AMI patients by significantly reducing long-term mortality. Hospital discharge is a critical time for optimal long-term management.