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Health News
Feb. 11, 2019 / 7:42 PM

Heart patients prescribed opioids less likely to follow-up, more likely to die

The study included 2,500 patients discharged from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., after heart attack, sudden heart failure or both between 2011 and 2015.

By
HealthDay News
People who are treated for heart attack or sudden heart failure and prescribed opioids upon discharge from the hospital are less likely to attend follow-up visits and have a higher likelihood of death. Photo by wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Heart patients prescribed opioid painkillers when they leave the hospital may be less likely to get follow-up care and slightly more likely to die, a new study finds.

It included nearly 2,500 patients discharged from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., after treatment for heart attack, sudden heart failure or both between October 2011 and December 2015.

Twenty percent of the patients were discharged from the hospital with an opioid prescription.

After leaving the hospital, patients were interviewed about their use of medical services. The telephone interviews were conducted two to three days, 30 days and 90 days after discharge.

RELATED Study: Illicit opioid deaths to rise by 147 percent by 2025

Compared to others, patients prescribed opioids were less likely to follow up with their health care provider or take part in heart rehabilitation 30 days after discharge. They were slightly more likely to visit the emergency room, be readmitted to the hospital, or to die within 90 days.

The study was recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Hospital discharge provides a unique opportunity to evaluate each patient's medication regimen," said lead author Dr. Justin Liberman, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Vanderbilt.

RELATED Scientists link protein to increased risk for heart disease, stroke

"It's important for health care providers to understand the other ways that opioids may affect a patient's future interactions with the health care system," he said in a journal news release.

The study shows an association but does not prove that opioid prescriptions caused patients to miss follow-up care. It's possible that impaired physical and mental function -- known side effects of opioids -- contributed, according to the researchers.

They did not have information about the number of opioids patients took or how long they used them. The study also focused on one hospital where most patients are white, so the findings may not apply to other settings, the researchers said.

RELATED Study: Half of adults with heart disease have trouble paying medical bills

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more about caring for yourself after a heart attack.

Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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