Cardiology research and policy aim to improve heart attack response in Latin America

Health authorities and researchers in Mexico and Argentina are focusing on improving access to timely diagnosis and treatment for acute myocardial infarction.

In Mexico, the Ministry of Health is working to ensure that patients can access urgent care through the Universal Health Service (SUS), regardless of their medical affiliation. Alexandra Arias Mendoza of the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez (INCar) emphasized that reducing the time between detection and treatment is critical to preventing cardiac muscle damage. The INCar utilizes the ‘Código Infarto’ protocol to activate immediate medical and hemodynamics teams, offering options such as primary angioplasty or the administration of fibrinolytic drugs to dissolve clots when specialized centers are distant.

In Argentina, a team of cardiologists from Hospital Argerich has received a national cardiology award for research mapping the geographic accessibility of hemodynamics centers. The study, conducted in collaboration with University of Buenos Aires demographers, analyzed how many people live within a 50-kilometer radius of intervention centers. Dr. Rodrigo Blanco noted that while angioplasty is the preferred treatment, its availability is limited by geography and economic barriers. The findings aim to help medical professionals decide whether to initiate treatment with thrombolytics or prioritize immediate transfer to a specialized facility, as time is a critical factor in survival.