Heart patients most in need of intensive care don't get it: study

(HealthScout) UPDATED 2009-08-05
A study of 143,999 heart patients hospitalized for heart disease has found that patients most of in need of intensive care are less likely to get it. Researchers found that patients who had previously been diagnosed with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) were less likely to get artery-clearing procedures and cholesterol-lowering drugs. These patients also had longer hospital stays and had a higher risk of dying in the hospital. To explain these findings, the scientists theorize that doctors may think these patients are so sick that aggressive measures would not be the best course of treatment.
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