[Acute myocardial infarct in Peking. A clinical analysis from 1972 to 1983]

Within the last 30 years, the number of patients in China with coronary artery disease has increased six fold. To delineate the suspected cause of the increase in myocardial infarction, in 1972 a research group was established for analysis of the compiled data from 26 hospitals in Peking. The following results were obtained: Between 1972 and 1979 the number of patients with myocardial infarction doubled. This number has remained constant since 1979. The mortality of myocardial infarction (in the first eight weeks) was 23.2% in 1972 and decreased significantly to 14.6% in 1976; it currently ranges between 11.1 and 13.7%. In 1972, of all patients with myocardial infarction 24.7% were less than 50 years of age; in 1982 and 1983 this group accounted for 12.1% each (p less than 0.0001). In patients more than 60 years of age, there was a significant increase from 44.6% to 54.8%. Monthly registration of patients admitted to the hospital with acute myocardial infarction showed an average of 3.6 patients per day. In December and January the highest rate at 4.5 patients per day and in July and August only 2.9 patients per day were admitted. Throughout the years, there was a varying incidence of concomitant disease (hypertension 53.1 to 70.2%, cerebrovascular disease 4.5 to 25.0%, diabetes mellitus 3.9 to 7.5%). There were no significant differences among the various age groups. The diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction was established increasingly earlier with increasing experience of the physicians such that in the last few years more than half of the patients had been correctly diagnosed and admitted for hospitalization within four hours after onset of symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)