A heart attack is a medical emergency that usually happens when one of the heart’s major arteries becomes suddenly blocked, cutting off blood flow.
For years, doctors have typically focused on clearing only the artery responsible for the heart attack, especially in older patients who may have other health issues. But new research suggests that taking a more complete approach—clearing all major blocked arteries—could help save lives, even in people over 75.
The study was led by Dr. Simone Biscaglia, a heart specialist from Ferrara University Hospital in Italy. His team discovered that opening all significantly blocked arteries, not just the one that caused the heart attack, greatly improved outcomes for older patients. This finding goes against the traditional, more cautious strategy that aimed to minimize potential complications in elderly individuals.
“What we found is the exact opposite of what we used to think,” said Dr. Biscaglia. He explained that the results support treating all major blockages as a new standard of care—even for elderly patients who have other health conditions.
The study included 1,445 heart attack patients, about half of whom were aged 80 or older. Some of the patients received treatment to unblock only the main artery that caused the heart attack, while others had all their major blocked arteries cleared. The results were clear and promising.
Those who had complete treatment—a procedure known as full revascularization—had a 36% lower risk of dying or having another heart attack within a year compared to those who only had the main artery treated.
When researchers looked at all possible outcomes together (death, second heart attack, or needing another heart procedure), they found a 27% lower risk in the group that received full treatment.
Dr. Gregg Fonarow from the UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center said this new evidence proves that a more aggressive treatment approach can work well for older adults too. He noted that past research mostly focused on younger patients, so this study fills an important gap.
Dr. Gaurav Rao, a heart doctor from Northwell Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in New York, agreed. He said that full revascularization could become the new normal for older patients as well. “They are going to benefit and do better in the long run,” he added.
The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and was also presented at a major heart conference in Amsterdam, hosted by the European Society of Cardiology.
The findings could change how doctors around the world treat heart attacks in older adults. Instead of stopping after treating the “guilty” artery, doctors may now be encouraged to look for and treat other blocked arteries during the same hospital stay or shortly afterward. This shift in practice could help reduce the chances of future heart attacks and save more lives.
If you’re interested in heart health, recent studies have also shown that vitamin K may lower the risk of heart disease by a third, and that a year of regular exercise could improve heart failure. Other research is exploring how supplements and certain foods might help prevent heart attacks and strokes—or, in some cases, raise the risk.
As scientists learn more, one thing becomes clear: better treatment options and lifestyle choices can have a big impact on how long and how well we live. And now, thanks to this new research, older patients with heart attacks may have a better shot at recovery than ever before.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about top 10 foods for a healthy heart, and how to eat right for heart rhythm disorders.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to eat your way to cleaner arteries, and salt and heart health: does less really mean more?
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