A simple bedside score may flag heart patients at risk after surgery — a large study puts it to the test

This study looks at whether a simple calculation called the modified shock index (MSI) — which combines heart rate and blood pressure — can predict serious heart complications after non-cardiac surgery in people who already have heart disease. Researchers will review medical records from 1,500 patients aged 45 and older who had major abdominal surgery. The goal is to see if a higher MSI score before or during surgery is linked to a higher chance of heart attack, heart failure, dangerous heart rhythms, or cardiac death afterward.