Do adult children increase the chances of receiving the recommended hospital treatment among older adults with heart disease?

Background: We investigated whether having children and their socioeconomic resources are associated with receiving coronary angiogram (CAG) and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among older adults with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and unstable angina pectoris.

Methods: The study included 13 046 older adults diagnosed with first-time NSTEMI and unstable angina pectoris between 2002 and 2018. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations of having children and their socioeconomic resources with receiving a CAG examination within the first 3 days of their diagnosis and CABG or PCI within 30 days of their diagnosis following CAG examination, respectively, adjusted for sociodemographic factors.

Results: Within 3 days, 7158 older adults (54.9%) received a CAG, and of those, 4514 older adults (63.1%) received CABG or PCI within 30 days after their diagnosis following CAG examination. In the adjusted analyses, having children was associated with 21% (OR: 1.21, 95% CI 1.08; 1.36) higher odds of receiving CAG within 3 days and 20% (OR: 1.20, 95% CI 1.01; 1.42) higher odds of receiving CABG or PCI within 30 days after being diagnosed with NSTEMI and unstable angina pectoris, respectively, compared with those not having children. In adults with children aged ≥30 years, having children with short education was associated with 13% lower odds (OR: 0.87, 95% CI 0.77; 0.99) of receiving CAG, compared with older adults with children with long education.

Conclusion: Older adults with children had higher odds of receiving examination and treatment after diagnosis with NSTEMI or unstable angina pectoris. Older adults with children with short education had lower odds of receiving examination compared with older adults with children with long education.