engleski

Smoking and male gender are the main predictors of myocardial infraction at young age in Southern Croatia

Aim of the study was to assess whether acute myocardial infarction (AIM) in younger patients (45 years) differs from that in the older individuals (>45 years). The records of all patients admitted to the University Hospital Split from January 1, 1987 to December 31, 1998 because of AMI were evaluated. The study group consisted of 3282 patents, 276 (8, 4%) below, and 3006 (91.6%) above the age of 45. In the "young" subgroup there were only 17 (6.2%) females, significantly less than in the "old" one (941 out of 3006 or 31.396, p < 0.001). There were much more smokers among the younger (224 out of 276 or 81.3%) than among the older patients (1 l 18 out of 3006 or 37.2% ; p < 0.001). In the "young" subgroup there were about 73% heavy smokers with >35 cigarettes per day. Arterial hypertension was more prevalent in the "old" (1347 out of 3006 or 44.8%) than in the "young" subgroup (100 out of 276 or 36.1% ; p <0, 005), but in the cholesterol levels above 6.6 mmo/l there were no differences. The location of myocardial necrosis was also different: inferior AMl occurred in 145 out of 276 or 53% "young" patients and in 1082 out of 3006 or 36% "old" patients ; p < 0.001. Finally, the hospital mortality rate among the younger AMI patients was quite low(12% out of 276 or 4.2%) when compared to that of the older patients (583 out of 3006 or 19.4% ; p < 0.00l). AMI in younger individuals shows some relevant pecularities: the incidence is much higher among the male gender, the history of such patients almost invariably reveals heavy smoking, the diaphragmatic location is much more prevalent and the hospital mortality rate of these patients is almost five times lower than that of older patients. Hypernholesterolaemia is equally present (about 40%) in both groups, but arterial hypertension and diabetes are more frequent in older patients. The best current advice for a young smoker, particulaey with a positive family history of CHD, would be to stop smoking. All other interventions, from our experience, are far less important.

myocardial infraction; southern Croatia

Pages 1-202 : Abstracts of the Heart Failure Congress 2007 ; Hamburg, Germany ; 09-12 June 2007 ; art.no.: 430 ; P 139/10218