[KoK! Health] Myocardial Infarction with 30% Mortality Rate, Awareness Determines Life or Death

Differences in Awareness Rates Among Local Governments Emerge

One out of every two adults in South Korea is unaware of the early symptoms of myocardial infarction, a condition that can lead to death if not treated promptly.

According to the status of early symptom awareness of myocardial infarction by local governments announced by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 17th, the nationwide awareness rate of early symptoms of myocardial infarction last year was 47.1%. The nationwide awareness rate of early symptoms of myocardial infarction rose from 46.5% in 2017, when it was first recorded, to 56.9% in 2019, but began to decline again starting in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Myocardial infarction is a disease in which the coronary arteries, the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart muscle, are suddenly blocked by a thrombus, potentially causing cardiac arrest. The initial mortality rate is as high as 30%.

However, if the golden time is not missed, patients can receive appropriate treatment at the hospital, increasing their survival rate. In cases of acute myocardial infarction, reperfusion therapy should be administered within 60 to 90 minutes after chest pain onset for a better prognosis.

The reason why recognizing the early symptoms of myocardial infarction can be a matter of life and death is that sudden severe chest pain or pressure, or severe pain and discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back, should raise suspicion of early symptoms of myocardial infarction. The same applies when there is severe shortness of breath or pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders.

Last year, Jeju had the highest awareness rate of early symptoms of myocardial infarction at 62.3%. On the other hand, the lowest region was Gwangju, with 40.3%. The KDCA stated, “We cannot definitively say that regions with low awareness rates of early symptoms of myocardial infarction have higher mortality rates,” but added, “The higher the awareness rate, the faster emergency situations can be handled, so local governments with low awareness rates need education and publicity to increase it.”

Director Jeong Young-mi of the KDCA emphasized, “In regions with lower medical accessibility, it is important to know the early symptoms of myocardial infarction in advance to prevent deaths caused by it, and if symptoms are suspected, visit a hospital as soon as possible to receive appropriate evaluation and treatment. Since emergencies can occur during hospital transfer, it is recommended to use a 119 ambulance.”

Meanwhile, the KDCA is conducting in-depth regional research in collaboration with local governments such as Muju-gun in Jeonbuk and Taebaek-si in Gangwon-do regarding awareness of early symptoms of myocardial infarction and related matters.