RESUMO
Four hundred and ninety one patients with acute myocardial infarction [AMI] were included in this study. The frequency of diabetes mellitus [DM] among them was 17%, being 25% in females and 14% in males [p < 0.004]. The immediate mortality rate [IMR] in diabetics was 35% compared to 20% in non-diabetics [p < 0.002]. The impact of DM occurred on both sexes but the main impact was on females above the age of 50. The mean age of diabetics was 59.7 [SD 8.6] years and of non-diabetics was 59.3 [SD 10.1] years. Smoking and hypercholesterolaemia were common among diabetics and non-diabetics. The frequency of hypertension was significantly higher in diabetics [p < 0.05] and was associated with significant increase of IMR in both groups [p < 0.01]. Cardiogenic shock, severe heart failure, hypotension and arrhythmias were the most serious complications of AMI in both groups. Heart failure was significantly more frequent in diabetics [p < 0.03] while cardiogenic shock, hypotension and arrhythmias occurred equally in both groups. We compared our findings with those of previous reports and the results were discussed