AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin area doctor says far fewer people are seeking treatment for heart attacks since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Dr. Peter Monteleone with Ascension Seton says the number of patients seeking treatment for heart attacks is down 40-45%. However, he says this decrease doesn’t mean heart attacks are happening less frequently.
“What we’re seeing and what we’re worried about in the COVID era is that patients are so anxious, so worried about what’s going on in the community with the infection, that even if they get the common symptom of a heart attack, chest pain, chest discomfort – they’re just not coming to the hospital. They’re staying home and trying to ride out those symtpoms,” said Monteleone.
Monteleone says not getting treated for a heart attack can increase a person’s risk of death. CDC data show about 805,000 Americans suffer heart attacks each year, resulting in about one heart attack every 40 seconds.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. It is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths.
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