[Gender difference in myocardial infarction events between patients with and without conventional risk factors: the modares heart study]

ABSTRACT

Investigations show that gender may have an important role in cardiovascular disease. Some authors have reported differences in risk factor profiles between men and women, while others have been unable to reach such conclusions. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the profile of conventional risk factors and hematologic-metabolic parameters and relative risk between male and female patients with myocardial infarction [MI]. This cross-sectional study analyzed data between 1994 and 2006 on 594 MI patients [70.2% male and 29.8% female]. The gender subgroups were compared with regard to selected blood parameters and risk factors. Male ratio and relative risk of MI were also determined. The average age, hemoglobin [Hb], hematocrit [Hct], mean corpuscular hemoglobin [MCH], mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [MCHC], total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose [FBG] were significantly different between males and females [p<0.05]. The mean Hb and Hct in males with and without hyperlipidemia [HLP] and a family history of MI were significantly different [p<0.05]. Relative risks of HLP, diabetes mellitus [DM], and hypertension [HTN] for females were higher than males in all age groups. The relative risk was 6.16 times higher for females with three factors- HLP, DM, and HTN- combined. Hyeprlipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension were more common among women [p<0.001]. The results of this study confirm that the relative risks of HLP, DM, and HTN in causation of MI in women were higher than men in all age groups. With the exception of MCV, the other hematological parameters in men were higher than in women with MI, while metabolic parameters in women were higher than in men