Myocardial infarction coincident with cerebrovascular accidents in the elderly

In a three-year prospective study of acute cerebrovascular accident patients admitted to a geriatric unit within 72 hours of the onset, 12.7% had what was considered to be an associated acute myocardial infarction. In the majority of cases, 71%, there was no clinical indication of an acute myocardial infarction and, had it not been for electrocardiographic and enzyme studies, the concurrence of these two conditions might not have come to light. The possible explanations for the concurrence of these two conditions are explored. Patients were followed-up for five years. The mortality rate for the combined acute myocardial and cerebral infarction cases admitted to hospital was 53% in six weeks, and 64% in one year, compared with 26% and 42%, respectively, in those strokes uncomplicated by a cardiac infarction. Only one patient has survived for five years. The recognition of such cases is important in terms of management and prognosis and this may be achieved by ECG recordings followed by enzyme studies in all cases of acute stroke admitted to hospital.