Painless myocardial infarction in asthma

Of a total of 35 instances of painless myocardial infarction encountered in a District General Hospital over a 15-year period, ten occurred in seven patients admitted with acute exacerbations of asthma. There was a marked preponderance of anterior infarcts. No instance was found during a prospective study of 49 acute asthmatic admissions of 36 patients, during one of these 15 years. Although uncommon, the association of painless myocardial infarction and asthma has important implications for treatment.