Table 3.
Trends in Patient Characteristics Over Time
| Characteristic | Study Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001/2003 (n=747) | 2005/2007 (n=466) | 2009/2011 (n=329) | P Value | |
| Demographics | ||||
| Age, mean (y) | 78.8 | 78.5 | 75.7 | <0.001 |
| Female (%) | 47.9 | 47.9 | 38.3 | 0.008 |
| White (%) | 88.9 | 93.1 | 96.4 | 0.001 |
| Body mass index ≥30 (%) | 23.0 | 27.7 | 28.3 | 0.311 |
| DNR order (%) | 29.3 | 27.7 | 16.7 | <0.001 |
| Marital status (%) | ||||
| Single | 9.5 | 9.0 | 8.2 | |
| Married | 51.1 | 52.0 | 58.1 | |
| Divorced | 4.1 | 9.0 | 7.0 | <0.001 |
| Widowed | 35.1 | 29.5 | 23.1 | |
| Medical history (%) | ||||
| Angina | 30.3 | 16.3 | 5.8 | <0.001 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 17.8 | 18.9 | 17.9 | 0.887 |
| Diabetes | 33.9 | 38.0 | 41.0 | 0.061 |
| Heart failure | 28.1 | 29.6 | 25.5 | 0.449 |
| Hypertension | 81.1 | 82.0 | 83.0 | 0.761 |
| Stroke | 12.3 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 0.503 |
| Medication history (%) | ||||
| Aspirin | 50.2 | 53.0 | 59.0 | 0.029 |
| Beta‐blockers | 49.0 | 59.9 | 60.5 | <0.001 |
| Lipid‐lowering agents | 37.9 | 48.5 | 64.1 | <0.001 |
| ACE inhibitors/ARBs | 40.0 | 51.1 | 51.1 | <0.001 |
| Procedure history (%) | ||||
| PCI | 17.0 | 23.8 | 35.9 | <0.001 |
| CABG surgery | 14.9 | 17.0 | 22.8 | 0.006 |
| Ambulance transport (%) | 76.8 | 77.5 | 71.7 | <0.001 |
| Presenting symptoms (%) | ||||
| Abdominal pain | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 0.976 |
| Chest pain | 80.7 | 82.2 | 84.5 | 0.328 |
| Diaphoresis | 41.4 | 34.6 | 16.4 | <0.001 |
| Fatigue | 14.7 | 12.9 | 13.7 | 0.656 |
| Nausea | 33.6 | 29.6 | 29.5 | 0.232 |
| Palpitations | 10.6 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 0.001 |
| Shortness of breath | 61.2 | 56.4 | 45.3 | <0.001 |
| ER weekend visit (%) | 28.4 | 26.0 | 25.9 | 0.551 |
| Admission laboratory findings, mean | ||||
| Cholesterol, mg/dL | 177.3 | 163.4 | 153.0 | <0.001 |
| eGFR, mL/min | 53.8 | 55.0 | 51.3 | 0.027 |
| Glucose, mg/dL | 178.3 | 181.0 | 172.5 | 0.306 |
| Vital signs, mean | ||||
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 77.3 | 75.5 | 76.2 | 0.283 |
| Heart rate | 87.0 | 87.6 | 83.2 | 0.017 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 146.0 | 144.1 | 142.1 | 0.185 |
| STEMI (%) | 35.1 | 31.6 | 29.8 | 0.179 |
| Early hospital complications (%) | ||||
| Atrial fibrillation | 18.3 | 19.5 | 10.3 | 0.001 |
| Cardiac arrest | 2.8 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.611 |
| Cardiogenic shock | 4.0 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 0.228 |
| Heart failure | 36.1 | 29.8 | 22.2 | <0.001 |
| Stroke | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.383 |
| Ventricular fibrillation | 1.7 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 0.129 |
| Ventricular tachycardia | 13.0 | 5.2 | 7.3 | <0.001 |
| Hospital length of stay, mean (days) | 5.9 | 4.9 | 4.7 | <0.001 |
| Death (%) | 9.9 | 8.4 | 6.1 | 0.116 |
ACE indicates angiotensin‐converting enzyme; ARBs, angiotensin receptor blockers; CABG, coronary artery bypass graft; DNR, do‐not‐resuscitate; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; ER, emergency room; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention; STEMI, ST‐elevation myocardial infarction.