Clinical Manifestation of Acute Myocardial Infarction: Classified by Age and Gender

Abstract

Background The purpose of the study was to evaluate clinical manifestations of acute myocardial infarction as classified by age and gender.Methods This cross sectional study was conducted in a coronary care unit of a regional urban medical center in northern Iran (Amol). A total of 366 patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction were recruited from January to June 2013. Patient demographic information, past medical history, and current symptom data were collected.Results Multivariate logistic analyses were performed to identify risk predictors of myocardial infarction patients classified by age and gender. Risk predictors for older patients were dyspnea, OR = 1.76 (95% CI 1.01, 3.06), weakness odds ratio = 2.35 (95% CI 1.31, 4.21), nausea odds ratio = 1.83 (95% CI 1.04, 3.20), vomiting odds ratio = 2.48 (95% CI 1.34, 4.57), fatigue odds ratio=1.87 (95% CI 1.02, 3.39), belching, odds ratio = 2.13 (95% CI 1.08, 4.20), and hiccups odds ratio = 2.81 (95% CI 1.25, 6.30). Sub group analysis in older women patients identified weakness odds ratio = 3.13 (95% CI 1.11, 8.85), and belching odds ratio = 34.70 (95% CI 3.86, 312.2) as risk predictors. Among older men patients, the predominant symptoms were sweating odds ratio = 3.74 (95% CI 1.06, 13.2) and vomiting odds ratio = 2.54 (95% CI 1.10, 5.91).Conclusions This study concludes that older acute myocardial infraction patients were more likely to have non-specific symptoms. Initial assessment for acute myocardial infarction should consider the possibility of non-specific clinical manifestations, such as weakness and belching in older women, and sweating and vomiting in older men.