Risk profile in women with acute myocardial infarction

The studies in the literature of the past years have noticed the particular characteristics of the ischemic heart disease in women, who seem to be lacking early diagnosis and invasive treatment of coronary heart disease. They especially emphasize that the evolution, complications and mortality in myocardial infarction in women are more severe.

The evaluation of clinical, investigational and therapeutic aspects in a lot of women with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) versus a lot of men with the same pathology, hospitalised in the same period.

78 women hospitalised in the Emergency Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases between 1st January 1999 and 30th October 2001 with acute myocardial infarction. 109 men hospitalised in the Emergency Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases with acute myocardial infarction in the same period.

acute myocardial infarction, coronary angiography +/=left ventriculography. The lot of study and the witness lot were divided into 3 subgroups based on the severity of coronary lesions: Group I: left main stenoses, Group II: stenoses >60% on the other epicardial coronary vessels, Group III: stenoses <60% on the other epicardial coronary vessels. The risk factors, clinical data, cardiac performance indices and medical and invasive treatment were compared between the two groups.

The women hospitalised with AMI were older than men, had more diabetes and hypertension as main risk factors than men, with the exception of smoking, had more frequent heart failure and diastolic dysfunction of left ventricle. The favorite invasive treatment in women was the angioplasty with application of stent and in men--coronary bypass.