title: Comparison of traditional risk factors, natural history and angiographic findings between coronary heart disease patients with age <40 and >or=40 years old.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we aimed to examine the angiographic findings, traditional risk factors and natural history of Turkish patients <40 and >or=40 years old with coronary heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 491 patients with stable angina pectoris or acute coronary syndrome (ACS), who had undergone coronary angiography (CAG) were reviewed. The patients <40 years (group 1) and >or=40 years (group 2) were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population was classified as group 1 with 240 patients (mean age 35.7+/-3.4 years) and group 2 with 251 patients (mean age 61.0+/-9.7 years). Smoking, family history, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were more prevalent in group 1 while diabetes mellitus, hypertension was higher in group 2. The common presentation among <40 years patients was ACS whereas stable angina was the most common presentation in patients >or=40 years old. Patients in group 1 showed a preponderance of single-vessel disease whereas patients of group 2 showed dominance of multivessel disease. Early clinical course of patients with ACS in group 1 was better than in group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows a significantly different clinical, angiographic and biochemical profile in <40 years patients with CHD compared with >or=40 years patients. Dominance of smoking and dyslipidemias that are the preventable risk factors in premature CHD patients is an important threat for our community health. Healthy life styles should be encouraged beginning from young ages and new precautions about smoking must be taken.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Zonguldak, Turkey. nesligul2004@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nesligül
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Nurcan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arat
authors.forename: Mesut Sait
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: Yeliz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sökmen
authors.forename: Firat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozcan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology