Bellvitge Hospital Post‑Heart‑Attack Program Halves Women’s Mortality

In 2022 the Hospital de Bellvitge in Catalonia launched a one‑year post‑myocardial‑infarction (post‑MI) programme that provides integrated follow‑up care for cardiac patients. The multidisciplinary team—cardiologists, nurses, family doctors, rehabilitation physicians, dietitians, physiotherapists, psychologists and occupational therapists—coordinates medication, lifestyle advice and risk‑factor monitoring.

After treating about 1,000 patients, the programme reduced one‑year mortality by 47.6 % among women and by 27.5 % among men. The results were published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease. Programme director, cardiologist Oona Meroño, highlighted that the coordinated approach eliminates the confusion patients felt when receiving conflicting advice after discharge.

The initiative is presented as a model for preventive cardiology, aiming to keep post‑infarction patients “the way they were before” by ensuring continuous, personalized care throughout the recovery year.