Cardiologist evaluation linked to lower risk for major cardiac events and all-cause death at 365 days after noncardiac surgery
THURSDAY, Feb. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For patients with perioperative myocardial infarction/injury (PMI) after undergoing noncardiac surgery, cardiologist evaluation is associated with a reduced risk for major adverse cardiac events and all-cause death at one year, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the European Heart Journal.
Noemi Glarner, M.D., Ph.D., from University Hospital Basel in Switzerland, and colleagues conducted a multicenter prospective study involving high-risk patients undergoing noncardiac surgery who were eligible for PMI active surveillance. Patients with PMI receiving a cardiologist evaluation were compared to those not receiving evaluation. Major adverse cardiac events, defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, and life-threatening arrhythmia at 365 days, were examined as the primary end point.
Of the 14,294 patients, 1,048 developed PMI and were eligible for analysis; 58.6 percent received postoperative cardiologist evaluation. The researchers found that cardiologist evaluation was independently associated with a lower risk for major adverse cardiac events and all-cause death after adjustment (adjusted hazard ratios, 0.54 and 0.65, respectively) at 365 days. These findings were confirmed in sensitivity analyses. The likelihood of undergoing noninvasive cardiac imaging and receiving dual antiplatelet and statin therapy was increased among patients receiving cardiologist evaluation.
“Surgery is only carried out for good reason and following careful assessment of the risks, but complications do still occur. It”s vital to screen for PMI in patients who are at risk. Where signs of heart injury are found, a cardiologist can ensure patients get the monitoring and treatment they need,” Glarner said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including Abbott Diagnostics, Roche, AstraZeneca, and Boehringer Ingelheim, which partially funded the study.
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