Socioeconomics decide who survives after a heart attack

There are huge socioeconomic factors that play into heart disease and death. Mayo Clinic researchers present new data suggesting that people with lower incomes and education levels are more likely to die after heart attack than more affluent, educated people.

Reasons being education’s positive effect on factors that include job opportunities, income, housing, access to nutritious foods and health insurance.  Higher levels of education also could directly affect health through greater knowledge acquired during schooling and greater empowerment and self-efficacy.  Also education is strongly associated with health literacy, which in turn affects one’s ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions as well as attend rehab programs.