Myocardial infarction in Qatar: the first 2515 patients
A Chaikhouni1, L Chouhan, C Pomposiello
1Department of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Insights
Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) is increasingly seen in younger individuals, particularly Asian men. This study highlights that younger heart attack patients have significantly lower mortality rates compared to older patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
- Understanding demographic trends and risk factors for AMI is crucial for effective public health strategies.
- Previous studies have primarily focused on older populations, with less attention to younger AMI cohorts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the characteristics and outcomes of patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between 1982 and 1990.
- To compare mortality rates and risk factors between younger (<40 years) and older (≥40 years) AMI patient groups.
- To identify specific demographic and lifestyle factors prevalent in younger AMI patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of a data registry of 2,515 patients admitted to Hamad General Hospital's Coronary Care Unit with documented AMI.
- Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities (smoking, diabetes, hypertension), infarction type, and hospital mortality.
- Statistical comparison between patients aged 40 years or younger (Group I) and those older than 40 years (Group II).
Main Results:
- Overall hospital mortality for AMI was 10%. Significant mortality predictors included older age, female gender, and anteroseptal infarction.
- Younger patients (Group I, ≤40 years) constituted 23% of the cohort and had significantly lower mortality (3.6%) than older patients (Group II, ≥40 years) (12%, p < 0.001).
- Group I patients were predominantly young Asian men (71% Asian, 96.8% male), with high rates of smoking (78%).
Conclusions:
- Younger patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) exhibit a more favorable prognosis with lower mortality rates.
- AMI in young Asian men is a notable trend requiring further investigation into specific risk factors.
- This study underscores the need for targeted preventive strategies and risk factor identification in younger, at-risk populations, particularly young Asian men.
Abstract:
The data registry of all patients admitted between 1982 and 1990 to the Coronary Care Unit at Hamad General Hospital with the diagnosis of documented acute myocardial infarction is reviewed. We report a total of 2,515 patients (86.6% men and 13.4% women) with a mean age of 51 years (range 18-99). Of these, 62% were smokers, 29% had diabetes, and 20% had hypertension. The hospital mortality rate was 10%. The most significant factors associated with higher mortality were older age, female gender, and anteroseptal infarction. The age of 23% of the patients was 40 years or younger. Comparison between these younger patients (Group I) and those over 40 years (Group II) demonstrated that Group I had lower mortality (3.6%) than Group II (12%) (p < 0.001). Group I patients were predominantly men (96.8%), of Asian nationalities (71%), and usually smokers (78%). The observation that myocardial infarction occurs frequently in young Asian men needs further evaluation to identify specific risk factors.
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