Risk profile of young military personnel with myocardial infarction

ABSTRACT

In order to determine whether the development of myocardial infarction among young military personnel is associated with different coronary risk factors, 67 men between the age of 21 and 40 years has been investigated in a prospective case - control study for the coronary risk factors cigarette smoking, hypertension diabetes mellitus, obesity, a positive family history of ischemic heart disease and a positive family history of diabetes mellitus. The most common risks operating seemed to be cigarette smoking 75% [p < 0.005], a positive family history of 1. H. D 28% [P <0. 02], and hypertension 21% [P < 0.001]. Although obesity was observed in 36% of the patients it showed no significant value. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was trivial in the myocardial infarction group and the control sample, however a positive family history of diabetes mellitus was demonstrated in 24% of the myocardial infarction group but without significance The prevalence of a single significant risk factor in the myocardial infarction group is not materially different from that in the control sample, but the prevalence of two or more of these is significantly greater in the myocardial infarction group. The absence of all the three risk factors is commoner in the control sample. Our data supported the current view relating the occurrence of myocardial infarction in men of younger age range to multiple causal factors and that no single factor is a etiologic