title: [Seeking medical advice in myocardial infarction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Seeking medical advice (SMA) in myocardial infarction (MI) has been reviewed for 22 (1977-1998) years. Causes of late SMA have been analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  SMA was studied in 4093 MI patients. In 757 cases the time of SMA was considered depending on the diagnostic category, intensity of pain syndrome, first or repeated MI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SMA early after MI (within the initial hours) in 1977-1991 was low. Later (in 1992-1998), the situation became worse. SMA depends on sex and age. Young men and old women seek medical advice late after MI. Early SMA does not depend on awareness of having ischemic heart disease. The majority of the patients are unaware of the risk of the first MI hours, while half of them do not know symptoms of MI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As SMA in MI is a behavioral characteristic of the population, the problem is social and can be solved only by relevant education of the population.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Gafarov
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Gafarova
authors.forename: N Iu
authors.initials: NIu
authors.lastname: Shakhtarina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care