Premature myocardial infarction in Singapore--risk factor analysis and clinical features

A retrospective analysis was carried out on all patients aged 40 years and below with acute myocardial infarction admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) at the National University Hospital (NUH). We found that most came early direct to hospital, more than half of those eligible received thrombolysis and there was a low incidence of complications. Compared to the Singapore population, Indians in the group were over-represented. The most common coronary risk factor was smoking. A majority had elevated serum cholesterol level. These observations may provide some insight for the primary prevention of premature coronary artery disease in young people in Singapore.