Risk factors indicating recurrent myocardial infarction after recovery from acute myocardial infarction.

Little is known of the risk factors of recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) among Japanese patients who have survived their first MI. The risk factors for the second MI were studied in 808 of 1,042 consecutive patients who recovered from an acute MI in Iwakuni National Hospital. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only 3 of 21 variables measured were closely related with the recurrence of MI during a follow-up period of 3.2 +/- 4.3 years: (1) transient atrial fibrillation (relative risk (RR) 3.16), (2) previous cerebrovascular accident (RR 3.05), and (3) dyslipidemia (RR 2.19). Of the parameters of dyslipidemia, a low ratio of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) to low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) alone indicated subsequent MI. None of age, gender, location of the infarction, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, pulmonary congestion (Killip's class > or = 2), peak serum creatine kinase activity, serum total-cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol levels, nor smoking habit on admission was a statistically significant predictor for the second MI. The result suggests that more intensive treatment is needed for patients with the 3 risk factors.