Skip to main content

Higher Income Tied to Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapies

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 24, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2024 -- Living in a high-income ZIP code increases the likelihood of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies (WLSTs) for people with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), according to a study published online Jan. 18 in Neurology.

Kara R. Melmed, M.D., from NYU Langone Health in New York City, and colleagues examined differences in WLSTs and mortality in patients with ICH by neighborhood socioeconomic status. The analysis included retrospective data from 868 patients treated for ICH at one of three tertiary care hospitals from January 2017 to December 2022.

The researchers found that patients from ZIP codes with higher median household incomes had a higher incidence of WLST and mortality. There also was a significant association between Black non-Hispanic race and lower WLST and discharge mortality. When adjusting for age and clinical severity scores, patients who lived in ZIP codes with high income levels were more likely to have WLST (adjusted odds ratio, 1.88) and mortality before discharge (adjusted odds ratio, 1.5).

"Clinicians in future may need to tailor end-of-life care discussions, taking into account cultural and social factors when treating patients who have suffered an intracerebral hemorrhage and, in particular, with respect to withdrawing life support," senior author Jennifer A. Frontera, M.D., also from NYU Langone Health, said in a statement.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted January 2024

Read this next

AI-Assisted Contours Superior to Cognitively Defined Prostate Cancer Contours

WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted definition of prostate cancer contours reduces underestimation of the extent of prostate cancer, according to a...

Mean Cost of Bringing New Drug to U.S. Market Is $879.3 Million

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- The mean cost of developing a new drug for the U.S. market is estimated to be $879.3 million when both drug development failure and capital costs are...

Patient–Primary Care Provider Language Concordance Tied to Better Outcomes

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- Patient-family physician language concordance is associated with a lower risk for adverse outcomes, according to a study published online June 3...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.