title: Risk factors and clinical angiographical characteristics of myocardial infarction in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myocardial infarction has a higher incidence in men. However, in women, although less frequent, it has a worse prognosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  With the present work we aim to define the clinical and angiographical characteristics and evolution of myocardial infarction in women compared with men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 235 sequential inpatients with acute myocardial infarction in the Intensive Care Unit who underwent post-infarction catheterization. We then compared female with male patients in terms of risk factors, location and type of infarction, coronary morphology and post-infarction complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 22% of the patients hospitalized following myocardial infarction were female. The women were older than the men (65.9 +/- 11.2 vs. 60.3 +/- 11.9; p < 0.01), and had a higher prevalence of high blood pressure (71% vs. 54%, p < 0.05) and a lower prevalence of smoking (19% vs. 50%, p < 0.001). Post-infarction angina was more frequent in women (50% vs. 23%, p < 0.001). Neither Q-wave versus non-Q wave myocardial infarction nor its location were significantly different between the sexes. In terms of coronary morphology, myocardial infarction without significant lesions was more frequent in women (10% vs. 3%, p < 0.05) and there were no significant.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital de Pulido Valente, Lisboa.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castela
authors.forename: Roberto Palma
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: dos Reis
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardim
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cândido
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: J Martins
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Correia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors