SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Some heart attack patients end up back in
the hospital just weeks after going home. It can happen for a
variety of reasons, but doctors haven’t had a reliable way to
predict which patients will return — until now. Using a new tool
developed by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center
Heart Institute, physicians can now better identify these
patients, according to a new study. This will enable physicians
to re-evaluate their treatment plans in the hopes of preventing
future admissions. “If you can identify these patients, you have
a better chance of saving their lives,” said Benjamin Horne,
PhD, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at the
Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and lead researcher
for the study, which will be presented Nov. 5 at the American
Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2012 in Los Angeles.
Improving the personalization of medical care during an initial
hospitalization is the most effective approach to preventing
repeat visits to the hos