Changes in the characteristics of myocardial infarction patients: 1980 vs 1988

This study examined myocardial infarction cases in an urban community hospital in the years 1980 and 1988. There were 56 well-documented heart attacks in 1980, and 80 in 1988. The sex ratio changed from 43/13 (male/female) in 1980 to 34/46 in 1988 (p = .0001). The percentage of diabetics increased from 27% in 1980 to 44% in 1988 (p = .044). The diabetics were older on average than the nondiabetics (69.7 years vs 65.1 years, p = .017). During the two years, 30 patients died in the hospital. Those who died were, on average, older than the survivors (71.4 years vs 65.4 years, p = .012) and were more likely to be white than black. More women than men died in 1988 (12 out of 13, p = .014), but the overall effect of sex on survival for both years was not significant. These results demonstrate a substantial change in the demographics of myocardial infarctions in the last decade.