[Management of myocardial infarction in patients over 75 years of age compared to patients under 75 years of age. Apropos of 594 consecutive cases admitted between 1991 and 1994].
This study analyses the patients consecutively admitted for myocardial infarction between January 1991 and December 1994. The study population consisted of 594 patients divided into two groups: 446 patients under the age of 75 years and 178 patients over the age of 75 years. The sex-ratio showed a male predominance (84%) before 75 years, and a female predominance (57%) after 75 years. A history of angina was more frequent in elderly patients (45% vs 30%, p < 0.001), who were admitted later (22.5% vs 46.6% before the 6th hour, p < 0.001). Thrombolysis was administered in 49.6% of subjects under the age of 75 years and in 17.3% of elderly patients. The course was uneventful in 56.7% of subjects under the age of 75 years and in 28.2% of elderly patients. Mortality was 6-fold higher in this group (22% vs 3.7%, p < 0.01). The cause of death was usually heart failure with a 10-fold higher frequency of cardiogenic shock (13.5% vs 1.4%, p < 0.001). Coronary angiography was performed in 81.4% of subjects under the age of 75 years and in 30% of the elderly patients. Multi-vessel lesions were more frequent in elderly subjects (78.4% vs 47.5%, p < 0.01). Revascularization by angioplasty or bypass graft was performed with a similar frequency (50%) in the two groups of patients investigated by coronary angiography. The mortality of myocardial infarction was high in the elderly, usually due to heart failure, and partly explained by the severity of the coronary lesions; in contrast, elderly patients were less frequently submitted to active management (thrombolysis-coronary angiography), while recent data of the literature argue in favour of primary angiography in these patients.
Thébault
B
B
Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier René Dubos, Pontoise.
Lefèvre
T
T
Loiret
J
J
Bellorini
M
M
Guillard
N
N
Funck
F
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
La prise en charge de l'infarctus du myocarde chez les patients âgés de 75 ans et plus comparée à celle des patients de moins de 75 ans. A propos de 594 cas admis consécutivement entre 1991 et 1994.