Young Adults With Acute Myocardial Infarction in Morocco: An Emerging Cardiovascular Challenge

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in individuals under 50 is a growing global concern.
• Limited data exists on AMI in young adults from North African regions.
• Behavioral factors like tobacco and cannabis use are implicated in premature coronary events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in young adults in Morocco.
• To identify prevalent risk factors and angiographic findings in this population.
• To evaluate acute management and in-hospital outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, single-center descriptive study.
• Inclusion of patients aged 49 years or younger admitted with STEMI between January and December 2025.
• Data collection on demographics, risk factors, coronary angiography, interventions, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• 62 young adults (mean age 41 ± 7 years, 77% male) were included.
• Smoking (64.5%) and cannabis use (27.4%) were the primary risk factors.
• Single-vessel disease (77.4%) was common, with the left anterior descending artery most affected.
• Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) occurred in 9.7% of patients.
• Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed in 61.3%, with 74.2% successful reperfusion.
• In-hospital complications included left ventricular systolic dysfunction (23%) and cardiogenic shock (9.7%).
• In-hospital mortality was low at 1.6%.

Conclusions:

• Acute myocardial infarction in young adults in Morocco is strongly associated with modifiable behavioral risk factors.
• The condition predominantly involves single-vessel coronary disease.
• Short-term outcomes are generally favorable with appropriate acute management.
• Targeted prevention strategies are crucial to mitigate the impact of premature myocardial infarction.