Over 90 less likely to get cardiac treatment

KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 25 (UPI) -- U.S. patients age 90 and older who come to an emergency room with acute coronary syndromes are less likely to receive recommended treatments.

"Having an acute coronary syndrome, even over the age of 90, is not as dire as it once was," study leader Dr. David J. Cohen, of Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., said in a statement.

The study, published in the May 1 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found patients age 90 were less likely than younger patients to receive recommended treatments, but for those who did, survival was much better.

Therapies recommended by American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines include aspirin; heparin, a blood thinner, and beta blockers, which slow the heart rate, reduce the force of the heart's contraction and prevent rhythm abnormalities.

In addition, the guidelines recommend that high-risk patients have a procedure that allows cardiologists to see inside the coronary arteries using X-rays, catheters and high-contrast dye to help determine the need for angioplasty, stenting or surgery.