Hip and knee replacements tied to heart attack risk

(Reuters Health) - Older patients having a hip or a knee replaced have a higher risk of heart attack in the two weeks after the procedure compared to those who don't need joint surgery, according to a new study.

People having joint surgery had up to 31 times the risk of a heart attack shortly afterward - but still, no more than one in 200 had heart trouble.

Although it's not clear the hip and knee procedures, themselves, triggered the heart attacks, researchers said it's reasonable to think they would have some role.

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