Despite advances in cardiovascular medicine, Black patients are 22% more likely than white patients to die in the hospital after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, according to a study of more than 1 million patients presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY ® 2024 annual meeting. Our large study shows that disparities in cardiovascular health care delivery in the U.S.
are ongoing, especially in Black patients. We found Black patients who have coronary artery bypass surgery experience higher rates of severe postoperative complications, including death and cardiac arrest. These alarming statistics call for urgent action from governments and health care systems.
" Vinicius Moreira, M.D., lead author of the study and chief anesthesiology resident at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago In the study, researchers assessed a national inpatient database for patients undergoing CABG in the U.
S. from 2016 to 2021. Among the 1,159,040 patients who had CABG during that time, 75.
58% were white, 7.44% were Hispanic and 6.75% were Black (10.
23% were categorized as belonging to other racial groups). Compared to white patients, Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to be younger. On average, white patients were 77 years old, Black patients were 63 years old and Hispanic patients were 64 years old.
Black and Hispanic patients also were more likely to have heart failure: 10.6% for white patients, 12.2% for Hispanic patients and 15.
4% for Black patients. Researchers deter.