Acute myocardial infarction in young Asian women: A comparative study on Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnic groups

Abstract

Introduction: There is a paucity of data on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in young Asian women and of comparative data among various ethnic groups with respect to risk factor prof ile and clinical outcomes. We present a comprehensive overview of the clinical characteristics of young Asian women with AMI and a comparative analysis among Chinese, Malay and Indian women in a multiethnic Asian country. Methods: We studied 45 Asian female patients aged 50 years and below who were admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Results: Overall, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia were prevalent in the study population. Hyperlipidaemia was more prevalent among Indian patients, while diabetes mellitus was more common among Malay patients. Only a minority of the study patients were current smokers. Among the 20 patients admitted with STEMI, 17 (85 percent) received urgent reperfusion therapy. The mean symptom-toballoon time and door-to-balloon time for the Malay patients were longer compared to those for other ethnic groups. Among the 25 patients admitted with NSTEMI, 12 (48 percent) underwent coronary revascularisation therapy. The average duration of hospital stay was 4 +/- 4.1 days, with no significant difference observed among the various ethnic groups. Conclusion: Many young Asian women with AMI have identif iable risk factors that are different from those found in the Western population. There seems to be an ethnic effect on the prevalence of these risk factors and door-to-balloon time.