Health care contact is higher in the week preceding a first myocardial infarction: A review of medical records in Northern Sweden in 2007.

Background: Prodromal symptoms before myocardial infarction (MI) are common, but there are limited data regarding health care contact prior to the acute onset of MI and the impact of gender on early presentation to health care.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse prodromal symptoms reported in medical records and study health care contact in the week before the acute onset of MI in comparison to the general population.

Methods: From the Northern Sweden MONICA Study we accessed the medical records of 359 patients aged 32-74 years with a first MI in the county of Norrbotten in 2007.