[Myocardial infarction in women and men under 45 years of age]

In recent years an increase has been observed in the incidence of myocardial infarction in patients aged under 45 years, males and females. In the period 1982-1986 in hospital 587 patients were treated for myocardial infarction, among them 393 men (67%) and 194 women (33%), with 55 men (14%) and 12 women (6.2%) aged under 45 years. The type, location, clinical course of infarction, complications, mortality and posthospital clinical course during from several months to several years were analysed. The incidence was compared with data in literature, presence of risk factors (occupation, smoking, lipid metabolism, stresses and taking of oral contraceptive agents by women) was analysed.