COMPARISON OF RISK FACTORS PROFILE IN PATIENTS BELOW AND ABOVE FORTY YEARS OF AGE PRESENTING WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Objective: To compare the frequency of conventional risk factors in patients below and above forty years of age presenting with acute myocardial infarction. Methodology: It was a three years retrospective comparative descriptive study conducted in Cardiology Department, PGMI, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Computerized data of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from 1st September 2006 to 31st August 2009 was reviewed. Patients with age 40 years were assigned Group-I while those with 40 years as Group-II. Conventional risk factors were age, sex, pertinent family history, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Using SPSS version 16, data was analyzed. Results: A total of 4935 patients were admitted with AMI over the study period. Mean age was 58.4 ± 12.37 (20 to 99) years. Group-I had 252 patients (79.4% males), while Group-II had 4683(65.9% males). Positive family history in Group-I vs. Group-II was 43(17.1%) vs. 426(9.1%), [p 0.001], respectively. Hypertension in Group-I vs. Group-II was 57(22.6%) vs. 1666(35.6%), [p 0.001], respectively. Diabetes mellitus in Group-I vs. Group-II was 29/252(1.5%) vs. 1059(22.6%)), [p 0.001], respectively. Hypercholesterolemia in Group-I vs. Group-II was 63(25%) and 583(12.4%), [p 0.001], respectively. Hypertriglyceridemia in Group-I vs. Group-II was 68(27%) vs. 1188 (25.4%)), [p 0.001], respectively. Smokers in Group-I vs. Group-II were reported in 24(9.5%)) vs. 76(1.6%o), [p 0.001], respectively. Conclusion: Positive family history, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and smoking were more frequent in younger age group while hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the predominant risk factors in older age group.