Coronary artery disease in young adults - angiographic profile

Angiographic profile of fifty young patients of coronary artery disease aged 40 or under were analysed and compared with those of fifty older patients. Mean age of younger and older group was 36.34 (range 28 to 40 years) and 55.28 (44-74 years) years respectively and most of the patients were male in both the group (92 Vs 94%). Older patients were more diabetes (40 Vs 24%) and hypertensive (38 Vs 60%) but the younger patients had more family history of premature coronary artery disease (50% Vs 24%). The incidence of smoking and dyslipidemia did not vary between the two groups. Older patients had more history of myocardial infarction (69 Vs 58%) but angina were more in young patients (42 Vs 31%). Coronary angiography revealed more number of multivessel disease in older patients (74 Vs 54%) but the younger patients had more normal coronary arteries and single vessel disease (46 vs 26%). Coronary athesclerosis was also extensive in older patients as revealed by the higher coronary score, more involvement of coronary segments, more number of diseased and diffusely involved coronary vessel in older patients. Older patients needed more revasalarization process (74 Vs 60%), more coronary bypass surgery (40 Vs 24%) and had more inoperable vessels (16% Vs 4%) than the younger patients. So the younger patients having less extensive coronary artery athesclerosis with better prognostic probability should be evaluated angiographically for further definitive management in the from of revascularization.