ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Data exist on the community-based perspective on the relation of diabetes mellitus (DM) and acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) worldwide but no data is available in Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The Thai Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry (TACSR) is an observational study of patients hospitalized with ACS at 17 hospitals in different regions of Thailand. The present sub-study sample consisted of 3,725 patients with STEMI in a 3-year period. RESULTS: Nearly 40% (37.15%) of them had DM who were older predominantly women, with a greater prevalence of co-morbidities and fewer current smokers. Patients with DM who developed STEMI were at increased risk for heart failure, arrhythmia, bleeding and death. These differences remained after adjustment for potential confounding prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: A considerable proportion of patients with STEMI have DM. This proportion is higher than any other studies published. Diabetic patients who developed STEMI are also at increased risk for adverse outcomes including, heart failure, arrhythmia, bleeding and death compared to patients without DM.