Descriptive epidemiology of cases of acute myocardial infarction in Tobago.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study is to identify co-morbidities associated with acute myocardial infarction in Tobago.


METHODS
This was a longitudinal retrospective study of myocardial infarction at the Tobago Regional Hospital in two selected periods: January 2007 to April 2007 and January 2008 to April 2008. Data were retrieved from the patients' medical records. These included co-morbid conditions eg hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, ESRD, whether history of smoking or cocaine use and if any prior care. In the former period, 11 cases were confirmed as having myocardial infarction and 27 cases in the latter period.


RESULTS
In 2007 and 2008, all cases had dyslipidaemia (LDL > 100 mg/dL) and were hypertensive. There were 36.4% of cases in 2007 that had diabetes mellitus, compared to 33.3% cases in 2008 and 9.1% had chronic kidney disease in 2007, compared to 25.9% in 2008.


CONCLUSIONS
The most common co-morbidities associated with acute myocardial infarction in Tobago are dyslipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, with ESRD, smoking and cocaine use less so. Many of these patients had never received prior care.
Alfred
R
R
Department of Medicine, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies. rose24_tt@yahoo.com
Okeke
O
O
Moronu
C
C
Elliot
V
V
Frankson
A
A
Barton
E N
EN
D000368:Aged; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000453:epidemiology
D003042:Cocaine