Heart attacks are serious, can be fatal and are common. Because of major advances in treatment, many more people nowadays survive a heart attack. However, people who survive a heart attack have a higher chance of developing other conditions later in life. Based on our previous study of hospital data in England we know that a third of people are likely to develop kidney disease after a heart attack. However, we do not yet know how this has changed after the Covid pandemic or if the chances of developing kidney disease after a heart attack is different for people from different backgrounds.
This project will study thousands of healthcare records for people in England to understand the chances of developing kidney disease after a heart attack. We will use data from before and after the pandemic to understand changes resulting from COVID-19. We will also study how peoples age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status affects the chances of kidney disease after a heart attack. We will use anonymous healthcare data from many sources, including from hospitals, GP records and the national registry of heart attacks in England (MINAP) so that we can be sure that our estimates are as accurate and as relevant to as many people as possible.
This project will provide comprehensive information on the number of people who develop kidney disease after a heart attack. We will find out if the pandemic has made these numbers better or worse. Finally, we will find out which people might be most at risk. This will provide the NHS with information to help allocate appropriate resources to help prevent or reduce the risk of kidney disease for the 1.4 million people who have survived a heart attack in the UK. It will also help patients and carers understand the level of risk specific to them and work together with healthcare professionals on strategies to prevent kidney disease after a heart attack.