Wives of patients with acute myocardial infarction are at an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
The present study was carried out to investigate risk factors for developing coronary artery disease in wives of patients with acute myocardial infarction.


METHODS
Risk factors for developing coronary artery disease were investigated in 50 wives of patients who developed an acute myocardial infarction (group A) and were compared with those of 50 wives of normal healthy men (group B). The average age was 50.20 +/- 1.56 years (mean +/- SD) and 50.20 +/- 1.53 years for group A and group B respectively. The parameters assessed were: plasma cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, smoking habits and body mass index (BMI).


RESULTS
The levels of LDL-C in the wives of patients with myocardial infarction were higher than those of the wives of normal healthy men (167.8 +/- 5.84 mg/dl and 148.4 +/- 4.85 mg/dl, respectively, P < 0.01). Moreover, HDL-C concentrations were lower in the wives of the patients (51.34 +/- 0.92 mg/dl) than in the wives of the healthy men (58.14 +/- 1.39 mg/dl), (P < 0.001). Finally, TG levels were higher in the wives of the patients (132.2 +/- 7.9 mg/dl) than in the wives of the normal healthy men (96.9 +/- 5.94 mg/dl) (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Although plasma lipid levels themselves were not excessively high, the wives of patients with an acute myocardial infarction are at a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease than the wives of normal healthy men, in the long term, due to higher levels of LDL-C and TG as well as lower levels of HDL-C.
Papamichael
Ch
Ch
Department of Internal Medicine, Alexandra University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Zampelas
A
A
Cimponerio
A
A
Adamopoulos
P N
PN
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D012307:Risk Factors; D018454:Spouses; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol