Hospitalization for Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Population-Based Registry

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is one of the main clinical manifestations of ischemic heart disease. Population-based data are relevant to better understand the current epidemiology of this condition.

To describe the incidence, therapeutic management, hospital clinical outcomes and cardiovascular events in the first year of follow-up of individuals hospitalized for STEMI.

Population-based prospective cohort study with consecutive registries of hospitalization for STEMI in a city in southern Brazil from 2011 to 2014. It included patients with STEMI who presented acute myocardial ischemia symptoms in the last 72 hours. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

The annual incidence of STEMI hospitalizations was 108 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Adjusted incidence was higher among older individuals (relative risk 64.9; 95% CI 26.9-156.9; p for linear trend < 0.001) and among men (relative risk 2.8; 95% CI 2.3-3.3; p < 0.001). There were 530 hospitalizations in the period under evaluation and the reperfusion rate reached 80.9%. Hospital mortality and the one-year follow-up cardiovascular event rate were, respectively, 8.9% and 6.1%. The oldest patients had higher hospital mortality (relative risk 3.72; 95% CI 1.57-8.82; p for linear trend = 0.002) and more one-year follow-up cardiovascular events (hazard ratio 2.35; 95% CI 1.12-4.95; p = 0.03).

This study shows that both the therapeutic approach and hospital mortality are similar to the ones found in developed countries. However, the hospitalization rate was higher in these countries.