Characteristics, prevalence, and prognosis of postmyocardial infarction syndrome.

Among 1809 patients with myocardial infarction, 60 (3.3%) later developed a postmyocardial infarction syndrome. These 60 patients were compared with controls with myocardial infarction but without postmyocardial infarction syndrome. Cases with postmyocardial infarction syndrome had larger and more complicated infarcts than control subjects. Five year cumulative mortality was higher among cases (26%) than among control subjects (18%) but this difference was not statistically significant. Corticosteroid treatment did not adversely affect the prognosis of the postmyocardial infarction syndrome, which we conclude is mainly determined by the severity of the underlying coronary heart disease.