RESUMO
Acute myocardical infarction [AMI] in young patients has different characteristics from that in older. The purpose of the present study was to assess the risk factors, presenting symptoms, features of coronary angiographic [CAG] and echocardiographic findings, complications and in-hospital mortality of young patients with AMI in a referred teaching heart center compared with those of older patients. A descriptive-analytic study was conducted involving 100 young [35 years and below] and 100 older [over 35years] patients with clinical diagnosis of AMI. The differences in the risk factors, clinical characteristics and CAG and echocardiographic findings were analyzed between the two groups between January 2000 and September 2009. Compared with the older patients, the risk factor of positive family history was more frequently found among the young patients. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were more prevalent risk factors in non-young patients. Smoking and Dyslipidemia [DLP] were prevalent risk factors in the both. In the young patients low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDLC], the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], and white blood cell [WBC] count were significantly higher, while lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] and higher BUN were found in the elderly patients. Echocardiographic findings showed lower LVEF in older patients. Angiography identified higher incidence of no-vessel or one-vessel disease in the young patients [43.8% vs. 30.1%]. Young patients with M I had lower morbidity rate than older patients with the same mortality. Positive family history is the major risk factor rather than smoking and dyslipidemia for AMI among individuals below the age of thirty five, who often have milder coronary artery stenosis than elderly patients. Alcoholism as a social habit is more highlighted prevalent in the young adult MI. Young patients seems to have lower morbidity, with the same mortality