Abstract
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common chronic condition in the elderly. However, the earlier CAD begins, the stronger its impact on lifestyle and costs of health and social care. The present study analyzes clinical and angiographic features and the outcome of very young patients undergoing coronary angiography due to suspected CAD, including a nested case-control study of ≤40-year-old patients referred for coronary angiography. Patients were divided into two groups: cases with significant angiographic stenosis, and controls with non-significant stenosis. Of the 19,321 coronary angiographies performed in our center in a period of 10 years, 504 (2.6%) were in patients ≤40 years. The most common cardiovascular risk factors for significant CAD were smoking (OR 2.96; 95% CI 1.65–5.37), dyslipidemia (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.27–3.82), and family history of CAD (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.05–3.75). The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at follow-up was significantly higher in the cases compared to controls (HR 2.71; 95% CI 1.44–5.11). Three conventional coronary risk factors were directly related to the early signs of CAD. MACE in the long-term follow-up is associated to dyslipidaemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Focusing efforts for the adequate control of CAD in young patients is a priority given the high socio-medical cost that this disease entails to society.
Highlights
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a chronic condition usually occurring after the sixth decade of life [1]
Age had an asymmetric distribution for all study subjects, with a median of 37 years and an interquartile range (IQR) of 34–39 years
Age was higher in the case group
Summary
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a chronic condition usually occurring after the sixth decade of life [1]. Some populations experience this disease prematurely [2]. In the last few decades, different studies have shown an increased incidence of CAD in very young people [3–5], mainly in Asian populations [6]. Even though they are relatively few in number, these young patients with CAD represent a significant economic and health care burden for society, becoming chronic patients [7]. Histological analyses have shown the presence of subclinical atheromatous plaques in earlier stages of life [8,9], which may represent future substrates for the prompt onset of significant coronary stenosis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
