RESUMO
South Asians [SA] from the Indian Subcontinent are known to have coronary artery disease [CAD] at a very young age and also to have a more diffuse disease when compared to indigenous patients in the Western world. The aim of the study was to compare clinical characteristics and outcome of South Asian patients to Qatari patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction [AMI] in Qatar. The majority of SA residing in Qatar are manual workers of lower socioeconomic status when compared to the Qatari population. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected data of all patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction [AMI] in the State of Qatar during ten years [1991 -2001]. Patients were divided into two groups: Qataris [1598 patients] and South Asians [2606 patients]. Diagnostic classification of definite AMI was made in accordance with criteria based on the International Classification of Disease ninth revision [ICD-9]. The obtained information was based on the following parameters: age at the time of admission, gender, cardiovascular risk factor profiles [smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and pre-existing coronary heart disease], and ECG. Data analyses were performed using univariate and stepwise logistic regression analysis. When compared to Qatari patients, SA patients were younger [47 yrs vs 61 yrs; p < 0.0001]. SA were more likely to be smokers [50.5% vs 23.4%; p < 0.0001] and male [96.9% vs 71.8% p < 0.0001]. SA were less likely to have: diabetes mellitus [24.8% vs 54.0%; p < 0.0001]; hypertension [19.9% vs 37.6%; p < 0.0001]; previous MI [8.1% vs 15.8%; p < 0.0001]; CABG [2.2% vs 3.9%; p = 0.002]. The number of patients who received thrombolytic therapy was significantly higher among SA when compared to Qatari [54.6% vs 25.9%; p < 0.0001], and this was significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality rate [6.7% vs 16.8%; p < 0.0001]. SA patients who had AMI in Qatar had better outcome than Qataris. This may be explained by the patients' favorable baseline clinical characteristics such as younger age and less prevalence of diabetes and hypertension