Epidemiology of unstable angina in a closed population

pp 355-360

Abstract

Due to the epidemiologic importance and sanitary impact of unstable angina and the absence of reliable data of its real incidence in the general population, we analized this entity and its evolution in the health medical organization of Policía Federal Argentina.Once we obtained these parameters, we reviewed at the same time data on the general population of Argentina to see if they were comparable and then performed the extrapolation of findings of the first to the other. These results were compared with those of the National Research of Coronary Care Units performed at 1991by the Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología. We estimated at least 25000 unstable angina cases in a year, and perhaps 3000 of them would die in the following three years. Twelve thousand admitions to CCUs and 7000 invasive procedure would be required. Contrary to the general concept, we think that nowadays this entity has a low incidence (8 per thousand), low mortality anda high complication rate with significant requirements of diagnostic and therapeutic resources. We believe that this is an important sanitary question, and we think this paper presents a particular view on a closed population, with a great number of patients and an extrapolation to the general population in order to have approach on the real significance of unstable angina.