Background— Neighborhood of residence has been suggested to affect cardiovascular risk above and beyond personal socioeconomic status (SES). However, such data are currently lacking for patients with myocardial infarction (MI). We examined all-cause and cardiac mortality according to neighborhood SES in a cohort of MI patients. Methods and Results— Consecutive patients ≤65 years of age discharged from 8 hospitals in central Israel after incident MI in 1992 to 1993 were followed up through 2005. Individual data were obtained at study entry, including education, income, and employment. Neighborhood SES was estimated through a composite census-derived index developed by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. During follow-up, 326 deaths occurred in 1179 patients. Patients residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods had higher mortality rates, with 13-year survival estimates of 61%, 74%, and 82% in increasing tertiles ( P _trend <0.001). After adjustment for sociodemographic variables, traditional risk factors, MI severity indexes, and individual SES measures, the hazard ratios for death associated with neighborhood SES were 1.47 (95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 2.06) in the lower and 1.19 (95% confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.63) in the middle tertiles compared with the upper tertile ( P _trend =0.02). The respective hazard ratios were even stronger for cardiac death (1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 2.25; and 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.96 to 2.07). In the final models, neighborhood context and several individual SES measures were concurrently associated with all-cause and cardiac mortality. Conclusions— Neighborhood SES is strongly associated with long-term survival after MI. The association is partly, but not entirely, attributable to individual SES and clinical characteristics. These data support a multidimensional relationship between SES and MI outcome.

Background Population-based data on the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on long-term survival after myocardial infarction (Ml) are lacking. We evaluated the association of income and education with all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality post-MI and assessed income-by-education interaction. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Between February 1992 and February 1993, 1521 consecutive patients aged 65 years or less (19% women) discharged from all hospitals in central Israel after incident acute MI were enrolled and followed up through December 2005. Data on SES indicators, cardiovascular risk factors, MI characteristics and severity, comorbidities, and acute treatment were assessed at baseline. Results Low SES, as defined by income and education, was associated with older age, female sex, and higher prevalence of risk factors and comorbidities. Further, low SES patients presented with more severe disease and received fewer cardiac procedures and medications. During follow-up, 427 patients died. Income and education strongly interacted (P = 0.003). The hazard ratio for death associated with income (below average vs. average/above average) was considerably higher for less educated (≤12 years) patients [2.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.92–3.63] than for more educated (≥12 years) patients (1.53, 95% CI: 1.02–2.29). Adjustment for various prognostic indicators attenuated these estimates, yet excess risk persisted for the less educated group (hazard ratio = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.13–2.21). Similar patterns were noted for cardiac mortality. Conclusion Among patients with incident MI, low SES is related to higher risk profile and poorer treatment. Low income is associated with a large increase in mortality risk when accompanied by low education, suggesting a double jeopardy phenomenon.

Previous studies have not shown a survival advantage for smoking reduction. The authors assessed survival and life expectancy according to changes in smoking intensity in a cohort of Israeli working men. Baseline smokers recruited in 1963 were reassessed in 1965 (n = 4,633; mean age, 51 years) and followed up prospectively for mortality through 2005. Smoking intensity at both time points was self-reported and categorized as none, 1–10, 11–20, and ≥21 cigarettes per day. Change between smoking categories was noted, and participants were classified as increased (8%), maintained (65%), reduced (17%), or quit (10%) smoking. During a median follow-up of 26 (quartiles 1–3: 16–35) years, 87% of participants died. Changes in intensity were associated with survival. In multivariable-adjusted models, the hazard ratios for mortality were 1.14 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99, 1.32) among increasers, 0.85 (95% CI: 0.77, 0.95) among reducers, and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.89) among quitters, compared with maintainers. Inversely, the adjusted odds ratios of surviving to age 80 years were 0.77 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.98), 1.22 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.47), and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.66), respectively. The survival benefit associated with smoking reduction was mostly evident among heavy smokers and for cardiovascular disease mortality. These results suggest that decreasing smoking intensity should be considered as a risk-reduction strategy for heavy smokers who cannot quit abruptly.

Background: Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is considered to have a carcinogenic effect. The authors previously reported a nonsignificant association between TRAP and cancer risk in a relatively small cohort of myocardial infarction survivors. This study assessed whether TRAP exposure is associated with subsequent cancer in a large cohort of coronary patients. Methods & results: Consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions in a major medical centre in central Israel from 2004 to 2014 were followed for cancer through 2015. Residential levels of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) – a proxy for TRAP – were estimated based on a high-resolution national land use regression model. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to study relationships with cancer. Among 12,784 candidate patients, 9816 had available exposure data and no history of cancer (mean age, 68 years; 77% men). During a median (25th–75th percentiles) follow-up of 7.0 (3.9–9.3) years, 773 incident cases of cancer (8%) were diagnosed. In a multivariable-adjusted model, a 10-ppb increase in mean NO_x exposure was associated with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.15) for all-site cancer and 1.16 (95% CI 1.05–1.28) for cancers previously linked to TRAP (lung, breast, prostate, kidney and bladder). A stronger association was observed for breast cancer (HR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.12–1.83). Associations were slightly strengthened after limiting the cohort to patients with more precise exposure assessment. Conclusion: Coronary patients exposed to TRAP are at increased risk of several types of cancer, particularly lung, prostate and breast. As these cancers are amenable to prevention strategies, identifying highly exposed patients may provide an opportunity to improve clinical care.