The study showed that older patientsthose over 75benefited as much as younger patients from surgery, and despite slower recoveries, did see a marked improvement in their quality of life. This included increased mobility and a decrease in the frequency of angina.

Dr John Spertus (University of Missouri, Kansas City), who conducted the study, says there are gaps in the data on bypass surgery and the elderly. Since the 1970s, the percentage of older patients in cardiologists' practices has increased from less than 40% to almost 60%.

"There are almost no data on the risks and benefits of surgery in the elderly," Spertus told heartwire . "There hasn't been any systematic effort to find that so far. We wanted to provide information on the benefits to older patients with angina."

Slower physical recovery for those over 75

The study was conducted between February 1999 and August 2000 on 690 CABG patients at the Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, MO, with 156 of the patients over the age of 75. The mean age of the older group was 79.8 and 62.8 for the group under 75. The institute monitored the group for one year after surgery by having them complete questionnaires and phone interviews.

After one year, the two groups showed similar scores in regaining physical function and in the quality-of-life (QoL) index, although the older group was slower to regain physical function. However, both groups experienced angina relief at similar rates, with both seeing significant improvement after about three months.

The study revealed that older patients did a have a higher rate of periprocedural complications. "Older patients were more likely to have permanent or temporary neurological deficit or have kidney failure around the time of the procedure," said Spertus. Death rates at the time of surgery were 3% for both groups, although 11% of older patients died within a year as compared with 5.4 % for those under 75. Older patients are expected to have higher death rates over time, but the health status of the two groups after one year was similar.

Complete informations and data are available on the original website TheHeart.org