Incidence of myocardial and cerebral infraction in Nuuk, Greenland

Abstract

Introduction. Myocardial and cerebral infarction are held to be rare among the Inuit, whereas cerebral haemorrhage is thought to be frequent. Recent studies have questioned these beliefs. We report data form our institution. Method. Retrospective data collection and review of all charts from Greenlandic patients from the Nuuk area admitted to the city hospital, Dronning Ingrids Hospital, from 1999 to 2002. Results. A total of 8 patients with myocardial infarction were found, median age 70 years, 4 with ST elevation MI and 4 with non-ST elevation MI. Two of the former had thrombolysis. Thirty-five patients were admitted with stroke, excluding subarachnoid haemorrhage, median age 65 years. Of these, twentynine had a CT. Five scans were reported as being normal, one patient had an intracerebral haemorrhage and twenty-three had cerebral infarctions. Six had no CT. One of these was admitted comatose and died without regaining consciousness, the rest were minor strokes in patients over 70. Conclusion. Myocardial infarction is a rare disease in Greenlanders, whereas stroke is four times as frequent. The overwhelming majority of strokes are infarctions, whereas intracerebral haemorrhage seems to account only for a small minority.