These adverse prognostic factors are related to each other but are also independently associated with death after discharge.
Age is also an important determinant of outcome.
Most deaths that occur in the first year after discharge occur in the first 3 months, increasing the importance of assessing risk and optimizing therapy before discharge from the hospital. However, there can be substantial improvement in ventricular function in the weeks and months after acute myocardial infarction, particularly in patients in whom early reperfusion was achieved. Therefore, measurement of ventricular function 2 to 3 months after myocardial infarction is a more accurate predictor of long-term prognosis than measurement of left ventricular function in the acute stages.