Terms of the heart: Patients in wealthy countries face difficulties

Pulse, October 2022

Dr. Peter Cram commented on why the U.S. has higher death rates after heart attacks than other countries. “The U.S. seems to be doing well with respect to patients getting needed procedures, keeping hospital stays short, and keeping readmission rates low,” Cram said.  “That is the glass half full. But the glass half empty is, that despite doing some things right, Americans are more likely to die after a heart attack than their peers in other countries.” Dr. Neil Mehta, associate professor of epidemiology at UTMB, also commented as did Dr. Hani Jneid, chief of cardiology at UTMB.