[Risk factors and the course of myocardial infarction in elderly women].

OBJECTIVE

to elucidate risk factors and special features of myocardial infarction (MI) in elderly women.

METHODS

We included into the study 217 women aged 34 to 89 years who had Q-wave or non Q-wave MI and were admitted for treatment in the cardiology department. These patients were divided into two age groups - younger than 60 years (n=79, mean age 51.6+/-5.9 years) and more or equal 60 years (n=138, mean age 71.7+/-6.9 years).

RESULTS

The following risk factors were more frequent among older women: hypertension (95.7 vs 89.9%), diabetes mellitus (32.2 vs 24%). Women aged <60 years more often had obesity (43.0 vs 26.8%), dyslipidemia (63.3 vs 42.8%), smoking (18.9 vs 0.7%), and premature menopause (12.8% vs 5.0%). Women aged <60 years had combinations of 3 or 4 risk factors. Coronary angiography was carried out in 34.2% of women aged <60 years and in 18.8% of older women. Women aged <60 years compared with older women more often had single vessel coronary artery stenosis (55.6 and 23.3%, respectively), whereas in women aged more or equal 60 years prevailed multivessel coronary artery involvement (22.2 and 42.3%, respectively). MI in elderly women was more often complicated by Killip class III-IV acute heart failure, arrhythmias, recurrent MI, and hemotamponade, while younger women (aged <60 years) more often had early postinfarction angina and Dressler syndrome.