title: Acute myocardial infarction: psychosocial and cardiovascular risk factors in men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Controversy still exists over the independent role of psychosocial factors in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study aimed to compare psychometric indices in Portuguese patients surviving a first episode of AMI and a community sample free of AMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based, case-control study. The study sample included 153 male patients with a first episode of AMI and 156 male controls randomly selected from the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on demographic, social, medical and behavioural characteristics was obtained using a structured questionnaire; anthropometric, blood pressure, and serum measurements were performed, and the psychometric evaluation was obtained using a self-evaluation questionnaires (Bortner scale, Beck Depression Inventory, SCL-90-R, Psychological General Well-Being and the Nottingham Health Profile).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cases of AMI more often exhibited type A behaviour (15.4 +/- 3.0 versus 14.7 +/- 2.7, P = 0.041), had more depressive symptoms (10.8 +/- 8.0 versus 8.6 +/- 8.0, P = 0.005) and showed worse scores on general well-being (68.4 +/- 17.7 versus 76.6 +/- 16.2, P < 0.001) than controls. Cases were significantly different from controls in terms of years of education (6.7 +/- 4.4 versus 9.0 +/- 4.7 years, P < 0.001), hypertension (43.1% versus 30.1%, P = 0.024), dislipidaemia (43.8% versus 34.0%, P = 0.038), type I obesity (53.6% versus 42.3%, P = 0.045), smoking (54.1% versus 26.5%, P < 0.001), no practise of exercise (68.5% versus 50.3%, P = 0.002) and presence of non-insulin-dependent diabetics (16.3% versus 6.4%, P = 0.010). After adjusting for such factors a similar set of significant psychometric results was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type A behaviour, depression and lower levels of well-being and quality of life, independent of other cardiovascular risk factors, were significant features of AMI cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Porto Medical School, Portugal.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prata
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D014434:Type A Personality