Perioperative cardiovascular outcomes among older adults undergoing in-hospital noncardiac surgery

Background Older adults undergoing noncardiac surgery have a high risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). This study aims to estimate the magnitude of increased perioperative risk, and examine national trends in perioperative MACE following in-hospital noncardiac surgery in older adults compared to middle-aged adults. Design Time-series analysis of retrospective longitudinal data. Setting The United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Participants Hospitalizations for major noncardiac surgery among adults age >= 45 years between January 2004 and December 2014. Measurements Inpatient perioperative MACE was defined as a composite of in-hospital death, myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke. In hospital death was determined from the NIS discharge disposition. MI and ischemic stroke were defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Results Of an estimated 55,349,978 surgical hospitalizations, 26,423,039 (47.7%) were for adults age 45-64, 14,231,386 (25.7%) age 65-74, 10,621,029 (19.2%) age 75-84 years, and 4,074,523 (7.4%) age >= 85 years. MACE occurred in 1,601,022 surgical hospitalizations (2.9%). Adults 65-74 (2.8%; aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.14-1.17), 75-84 years (4.5%; aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.28-1.32), and >= 85 years (6.9%; aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.52-1.57) had greater risk of MACE than those 45-64 years (1.7%). From 2004 to 2014, MACE declined among adults 65-74 (3.1-2.5%, p < 0.001), 75-85 years (4.9-3.9%, p < 0.001), and >= 85 years (7.7-6.1%, p < 0.001), but was unchanged for adults age 45-64. Declines in MACE were driven by decreased MI and mortality despite increased stroke. Conclusion Older adults accounted for half of hospitalizations, but experienced the majority of MACE. Older adults had greater adjusted odds of MACE than younger individuals. The proportion of perioperative MACE declined over time, despite increases in ischemic stroke. These data highlight risks of noncardiac surgery in older adults that warrant increased attention to improve perioperative outcomes.

Automated summary

This study examined the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in older adults undergoing noncardiac surgery, finding that older adults had a higher risk compared to middle-aged adults. Over time, the proportion of perioperative MACE declined among older adults, despite an increase in ischemic stroke occurrences.