Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Post-Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure in Closed-chest Coronary Occlusion/Reperfusion Model in Göttingen Minipigs and Landrace Pigs
14:35

Post-Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure in Closed-chest Coronary Occlusion/Reperfusion Model in Göttingen Minipigs and Landrace Pigs

Published on: April 17, 2021

[Interheart: nine risk factors predict nine out of ten myocardial infarctions]

A J Scheen1, H Kulbertus

  • 1Université de Liège, Service de Diabétologie, Nutrition et Maladies métaboliques.

Revue Medicale De Liege
|January 14, 2005
PubMed

Insights

The INTERHEART study identified nine key factors responsible for 90-94% of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) cases globally. Targeting these risk and protective factors offers a powerful strategy for preventing heart attacks worldwide.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology and Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Context:

  • Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) is a leading cause of mortality globally.
  • Understanding the primary determinants of heart attacks is crucial for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose:

  • To identify and quantify the major risk and protective factors for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) across diverse global populations.
  • To assess the potential impact of interventions targeting these factors on reducing heart attack incidence.

Summary:

  • The INTERHEART study, a standardized case-control investigation in 52 countries, enrolled 15,152 cases and 14,820 controls.
  • Six risk factors (high apoB/apoA1 ratio, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, abdominal obesity, psychosocial stress) and three protective factors (fruit/vegetable intake, moderate alcohol, physical activity) accounted for 90-94% of heart attacks.
  • These nine factors represent key targets for myocardial infarction prevention.

Impact:

  • Interventions addressing these nine factors could prevent the majority of premature acute myocardial infarctions.
  • Global implementation of these preventive strategies holds significant potential for reducing cardiovascular disease burden worldwide.

Related Concept Videos

Heart Failure I: Introduction01:27

Heart Failure I: Introduction

Heart failure refers to a clinical syndrome caused by structural or functional cardiac disorders that prevent the heart from pumping an adequate amount of blood to meet the body's metabolic needs. This condition often arises from myocardial infarction or ischemia, leading to decreased cardiac output, reduced tissue perfusion, impaired gas exchange, fluid volume imbalance, and decreased functional ability.Heart failure can result from disruptions in the mechanisms that regulate cardiac output...
Ischemic Heart Disease: Overview01:17

Ischemic Heart Disease: Overview

Ischemic heart disease occurs when the heart's blood supply dwindles, causing an ominous lack of oxygen and nutrients. This deficiency, stemming from reduced or obstructed blood flow, spells danger, leading to heart muscle damage and dysfunction.
Atherosclerosis, the primary malefactor, orchestrates this dangerous condition. It manifests as the accumulation of fatty deposits, akin to insidious plaques, within arterial walls. As time elapses, these plaques metamorphose, hardening and narrowing...
Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction01:30

Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): An Overview with Scientific InsightsCoronary Artery Disease (CAD), often referred to as C-A-D, is a prevalent blood vessel disorder classified under the broader category of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a pathological process characterized by the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques are composed of cholesterol, fatty substances, inflammatory cells, calcium, and fibrin, reducing blood flow to...
Coronary Artery Disease II: Pathophysiology01:26

Coronary Artery Disease II: Pathophysiology

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) originates from a series of events that impair the function of coronary arteries, the blood vessels responsible for delivering oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. The pathophysiology of CAD is closely linked to atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory and lipid-driven condition affecting the vascular endothelium.1. Endothelial DamageThe process begins with damage to the vascular endothelium, which serves as a protective barrier between the blood and the vessel...
Imbalances in Cardiac Output01:26

Imbalances in Cardiac Output

The heart's primary function is to pump blood throughout the body, maintaining a balance between blood sent out (cardiac output) and blood returning (venous return). If this balance is disrupted, it can result in congestive heart failure (CHF), a severe condition where the heart becomes an inefficient pump, leading to inadequate blood circulation.
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures01:26

Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures

Effective preventive measures for coronary artery disease (CAD) focus on controlling modifiable risk factors, including cholesterol abnormalities and lifestyle changes.Cholesterol ManagementFirst, the Mediterranean diet and the American Heart Association advocate for maintaining low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dL, with a more stringent recommendation of below 70 mg/dL for individuals at high risk. LDL cholesterol, often termed "bad cholesterol," can lead to the...