Tobacco.org

Smoking link with STEMI risk raised in younger and female patients 

MedWire News: Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for the development of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), with the greatest impact seen in younger patients and women, warn Swedish investigators.

The observed increase in the proportion of milder, non-STEMI cases in recent years may be a result of improved patient management and more sensitive diagnostic tools, argues Lean Björk, from Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg, and colleagues.

Noting, however, that there have also been changes in risk factors, the team examined data on 93,416 patients aged 25–84 years who were admitted to hospital between 1996 and 2004 with acute MI, extracting information on demographic and clinical characteristics, presentation, investigations, management, and tobacco status. . . .

The team concludes: “Overall, tobacco smoking was associated with an increased risk for presenting with ST-elevation, particularly among younger patients and women patients. These results underline the importance of smoking as a major risk factor for presenting with more severe acute MIs.”

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