Study: Cleveland Clinic heart attack protocol improves patient survival, reduces disparities

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. When someone suffers a heart attack, time is of the essence for the patient’s chances at survival.

A new study released last month shows that a multi-step protocol developed by the Cleveland Clinic helps improve survival rates for those experiencing the most severe type of heart attack.

The study found the protocol improved survivability and reduced in-hospital death and those results held true regardless of the socioeconomic background of the patient.  

Social determinants of health such as housing, racism, education, income and access to quality food and physical activity opportunities all play a role in a person’s health.  Healthcare disparities refer to differences in outcomes that are linked to these social, economic and environmental factors.

In places such as Cleveland, a person’s health outcome is impacted by their Zip code with lower-income areas of the city having reduced life expectancies than more affluent areas. Ideastream Public Media focused on this topic in our reporting on Zip Code: the Hidden Vital Sign. 

Our health team is currently reporting on how racism impacts health outcomes as part of its Connecting the Dots series.

Later in the show, it has been 40 years since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began. Over the course of those decades, the outcome for HIV/AIDS patients has undergone a transformation.  Whereas once patients were almost certain to lose their battle with the virus, today HIV/AIDS can be treated and managed as a chronic illness.

Last month, the City Club of Cleveland hosted a forum that explored how this life-saving turnaround was brought about not just through medical advances but also the work of activists and community leaders.  

The forum moderated by Marlene Harris-Taylor, Ideastream Public Media's Managing Producer for Health was a one-on-one conversation with author Celeste Watkins-Hayes.  She is the author of Remaking a Life: How Women Living with HIV/AIDS Confront Inequality.  You will find the full conversation on the City Club of Cleveland web site.

FInally, when you’re traveling in Ohio, chances are you may have encountered a “roundabout”.

It’s a traffic calming mechanism that aims to keep the flow of vehicles moving at an intersection by slowing drivers down.  The roundabout has been growing in popularity over the last decade.  Besides keeping traffic moving, the Ohio Department of Transportation says they make intersections safer.

WKSU Senior Reporter, Kabir Bhatia has been going in circles covering the topic for the Oh Really feature.  He joins me now to discuss roundabouts and how they are supposed to work.

Umesh Khot, MD, Head of Regional Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic 
Marlene Harris-Taylor, Managing Producer for Health, Ideastream Public Media 
Celeste Watkins-Hayes, PhD, author of Remaking a Life: How Women Living with HIV/AIDS Confront Inequality
Kabir Bhatia, Senior Reporter, WKSU