Fewer hospital admissions following heart attacks

Twelve per 10 thousand inhabitants were admitted to hospital as a result of an acute heart infarct in the Netherlands in 2005. This number is nearly one third down on 1995. The decrease was stronger for men (34 percent) than for women (27 percent). The fact that fewer and fewer people are hospitalised after a heart attack may be connected with the decrease in the percentage of people with too high cholesterol levels. This in turn may be the result of the increasing use of cholesterol-lowering medication. But changes in lifestyle, such as less smoking by men and a reduced intake of trans fats may also have contributed to the fall in hospital admissions for heart attacks.

The total number of people admitted to hospital at least once - for all causes - did rise between 1995 and 2005. The increase was 17 percent. Since 2001 in particular the number of people admitted to hospital has increased. In this period, the government provided extra funding to reduce hospital waiting lists.

People admitted to hospital at least once following a heart attack