Best heart attack treatment approach studied at Kitchener hospital

Some patients at St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener took part in an international study looking at the best treatment options for people who had suffered a heart attack and who had additional blockages.

And the findings of the study have led to St. Mary's changing the way it treats heart attack patients.

The study, which was published online in the New England Journal of Medicine last month, looked at more than 4,100 patients from 30 countries over seven years. It found for patients who had a stent put into a clogged artery that caused their heart attack, opening other clogged arteries with stents as well led to better patient outcomes than when blockages were treated with medication alone.

When additional stents were put in, there was a 26 per cent reduction in the risk of the patient having another heart attack, the COMPLETE study found. The COMPLETEstudy involves researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton andis supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Network and Center for Trials Internationally, the Population Health Research Institute, AstraZeneca, and Boston Scientific.

'Gives patients peace of mind'

Umjeet Jolly is a cardiac electrophysiolgist and research lead at St. Mary's Hospital. He said the hospital had 62 patients take part in the study.

"These patients are excited to have helped set a new standard that will improve patient outcomes around the world," he said.

Jolly noted patients with a secondary blockage of an artery of 70 per cent or more will receive additional stents while still at St. Mary's, or they'll be booked for a procedure within 45 days of their heart attack.

"It helps improve patient outcomes and gives patients peace of mind to know that the problem has been dealt with," Jolly said, noting this could lead to fewer tests and trips to the emergency room for adults who have had heart attacks.