Multimorbidity in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Is Associated With Greater Mortality, Higher Readmission Rates, and Increased Length of Stay: A Systematic Review.

Only English-language studies were included, so findings may not apply to non-English settings. Multimorbidity was measured differently across studies, using simple counts and comorbidity indices. Most studies were retrospective and used medical records, which may not capture symptom burden, function, or quality of life. Outcomes were mostly in-hospital, thirty-day, and one-year all-cause mortality, not cardiovascular-specific mortality. Few studies measured post-discharge health care use, cardiac rehabilitation, or long-term secondary prevention. Sample sizes varied widely and study populations were mostly male and Caucasian where reported.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article is tagged as supported by NIH extramural research.

Do not conclude that multimorbidity caused worse outcomes or that one specific intervention will reduce mortality. The review reports associations from mostly retrospective studies and did not test treatments, so it cannot show what a therapist or nurse should change to improve outcomes.