A comparative clinical and echocardiography study of acute myocardial infarction, patients above and below 40 years of age

Background: Myocardial infarction is one of the major health problems in both developed anddeveloping countries and is the leading cause of premature death among adults in developedcountries while its incidence is on an increase in developing countries as well, including India.Objectives: To determine the prevalence of various risk factors in young AMI patients and tocompare them with that of older patients. To compare the clinical presentation, course, andcomplications among both the groups. Methods: 60 AMI patients were taken into two groupsyounger and older according to age. For the diagnosis of AMI clinical criteria, ECG manifestations,cardiac biomarkers, and echocardiography criteria were taken into account. Risk factor analysis wasdone according to smoking habits, hypertension, lipid profile, diabetic Mellitus, obesity, and familyhistory. All the parameters of both groups were compared and analyzed statistically. Results: AMIwas found to have male preponderance with an M: F ratio of 9:1 and 3.4:1 in group I and II patientsrespectively. Smoking habit was found to be the commonest risk factors. Equal patients in eachgroup had a TC/HDL-C ratio over 4.5. Anterior wall infarction was the commonest form of infractionin both Groups. Among the early complications, the occurrence of heart failure was found to besignificantly higher in Group II patients. Conclusion: In the present study it is evident that thenatural course, the extent of ventricular dysfunction, arrhythmias, wall motion abnormalities,mortality in acute myocardial infarction bears any similarity in both younger and older patientpopulation; but not in all aspects