Risk factors for coronary artery disease in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Effects of age, sex and ethnicity.

The characteristics of 200 patients with acute myocardial infarction were determined and analyzed according to age, sex and country of origin. Older patients (greater than 65 yr) were characterized by an overall low-risk profile. Women with myocardial infarction (especially less than 65 yr) were characterized by a high-risk profile, although fewer smoked cigarettes and their high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were higher than in men. In patients of Asian-African origin, hyperlipoproteinemia of the type IIb variety was more prevalent and the plasma triglyceride levels were higher than in the other patients. The analysis has thus indicated several distinct risk patterns among the study population; in particular, plasma and lipoprotein lipid levels were found to be an important predisposing factor for coronary artery disease in young patients, in women, and in immigrants from Asian and African countries.