Serum creatine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone levels in male patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris.

In order to study predisposing effects of sex hormones in acute myocardial infarction and in unstable angina pectoris, serum estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were measured in 26 male patients with acute myocardial infarction, and in 14 male patients with unstable angina pectoris, and in 15 healthy male patients as a control. Serum estradiol levels in the patient groups were significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.001). There was not any significant difference between the serum testosterone levels of the patients and of the control group (p > 0.05). The serum progesterone levels in hyper acute phase of acute myocardial infarction were higher than control (p < 0.05), but were the same on the second and third days (p > 0.05). There was a positively good correlation between the serum CPK and LDH levels in acute myocardial infarction and the serum estradiol levels r = 0.66; 0.70; p < 0.05). These results suggest that hyper estrogenemia may be a risk factor for myocardial infarct in middle-aged men.