Prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation in thrombolysed and non thrombolysed patients.

Aim: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is considered a frequent complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of this study was to examine the incidence and prognostic significance of AF complicating AMI.

Methods: A total of 848 patients with AMI were examined evaluating: age, sex, coronary risk factors, incidence of AF, prior ischemic events, infarct location, electrocardiogram on admission, thrombolytic therapy, in-hospital complications and mortality.

[Sex differences in incidence of mortality after acute myocardial infarction].

Background: Previous studies have indicated that the mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is higher among women than among men. However, whether this difference is attributable to the older age of the women studied or to the presence of other unfavorable prognostic factors remains unclear.

Methods: This retrospective study compares the clinical features, management and 30-day outcome in men and women from a consecutive, unselected series of 878 patients with AMI (225 women, 25.

[Circadian variations in the onset of acute myocardial infarction].

Background: Several studies have observed a circadian pattern in the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with a peak incidence in the morning hours. It has been suggested that different circadian rhythms may exist in various subgroups of patients.

Methods: This study sought to determine whether the circadian incidence of AMI varied by sex, age, cardiovascular risk factors, previous history of ischemic accidents, the site of AMI, and the short-term outcome.

[Atrial fibrillation and thromboembolic events prevention. State of the art].

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia and stroke is its most devasting complication. The rate of ischemic stroke among people with AF is approximately six times that of people without AF and varies importantely with coexistent cardiovascular diseases; therefore stratification of AF patients into those at high and low risk of thromboembolism has become a crucial determinant of optimal antithrombotic prophylaxis. Multivaria-te analyses of prospective studies consistently show prior TIA/stroke, diabetes, age, heart failure to be independently predictive of stroke; left ventricular dysfunction is also strongly associated with stroke risk.

[Cigarette smoking and acute myocardial infarct].

Unlabelled: Cigarette smoking is commonly considered as a major risk factor for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). Although AMI has a high incidence in smokers, it doesn't seem to correlate with a worse in hospital prognosis. In order to investigate if cigarette smoking does affect the in-hospital prognosis in patients with AMI, 590 consecutive patients (451 males and 139 females; mean age 63.

[The peak of creatine phosphokinase level in the acute phase of myocardial infarction in patients with and without ischemic precedents].

Two hundred and one patients admitted to Coronary Care Unit with documented acute myocardial infarction, whose chest pain had occurred within 12 hours of hospital admission non thrombolised, were studied. The peak of creatine kinase (CK) was examined and compared between patients without previous manifestations of myocardial ischemia (group A, 106 patients) and patients with/history angina pector or healed myocardial infarction (group B, 95 patients). The mean peak creatine kinase level in the negative history group was higher (2261 +/- 226 U/L vs 1779 +/- 97 U/L p < 0.