Role of Gender in Acute Myocardial Infarction

The clinical data of 122 female and 426 male patients (ratio: 1:3.5) admitted with acute myocardial infarction to a coronary care unit were examined retrospectively for differeneces of mortality and morbidity between the two sexes. The mean age of females were 7 years higher than those of males (P<0.001). Subendocardial myocardial infarction were more frequent while inferior and anterior myocardial infarction were less frequent in women. Both diabetes (26 % vs 14 %) and hypertension (38 % vs 16 %) in association with acute myocardial infarction more seen more frequent in women as compared to men. Heart failure as a result of acute infarction was more common in females. The mean QRS score of males was found higher than in females (P<0.01). Although no significant difference existed between the mean of QRS scores in the two groups, the mean of QRS score of male patients with heart failure was noted to be higher than those without heart failure. A variety of serious rhythm disturbances and conduction defects in women were encountered more frequently than in men. Total hospital mortality rates in females and males were 20.5 % and 12.9 %, respectively. Mortality rates due to heart failure in women and men were 18.0 % and 10.3 %, respectively. In conslusion, the mortality and morbidity in acute myocardial infarction in women, notably due to heart failure and or rhythm and conduction disturbances is higher than in men.