Characteristics of males with myocardial infarction below age 40

All cases of initial myocardial infarctions (MI) diagnosed among men below age 40 in Göteborg during 1970-1977 have been studied. The cases have been compared with a random sample from the general population in Göteborg with respect to socio-economic factors and conventional risk factors. The MI-cases showed a special socio-economic pattern prior to the infarction and were more often single and of foreign origin, had more previous sickness benefit days and were more often registered for alcohol abuse than contemporaries in the general population. Moreover, the surviving MI-cases were found to be heavily burdened with the conventional risk factors smoking, cholesterolemia and high blood pressure.