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U of M Study: Speeding up treatment does not improve heart attack survival rate ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) -

There has been a concerted effort in recent years to speed up the treatment for heart attack victims.

But a new University of Michigan study finds it's not making a difference in survival rates.

It's been a staple of medical care for years. Increase the speed of treatment, and heart attack deaths should decline.

Current American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines recommend getting these patients into treatment in 90 minutes or less. Between 2003 and 2008 Michigan Hospitals reduced the time it takes from when a patient enters the emergency room to the time the patient undergoes balloon angioplasty by nearly 40 minutes.

But a U of M study finds the number of patients that died didn't change.

The study's author believes the problem is with the patient, and says educating people to recognize heart attack symptoms and getting victims the hospital faster is key.

The study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine. © Copyright 2012, Michigan Radio