ABSTRACT

Coronary artery diseases (CADs) are the most common causes of death worldwide. Every year more than 7 million people die of CAD which accounts for 12.8% of all –cause deaths. Generally, while a part of the patients recovered without any complication during the 3-4 week course of acute myocardial infarction, various complications may occur in the majority of patients.

In our study, we compared the relationship between the age and the early complications of the 488 ST- elevated acute myocardial infarction patients in the coronary intensive care unit in Hamidiye Şişli Etfal Hospital Coronary Intensive Care Unit between January 1988 and June 1991.

In our study, although there was no significant difference in terms of myocardial infarction complications between the two groups under 60 years old and above, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, premature death and cerebrovascular diseases were more frequent in the group over 60 years of age. However, no complication was observed in a total of 129 patients (26.4%). It is generally found that young patients with myocardial infarction have low mortality and better prognosis; which may be related to their better health status or smaller area of myocardial infarction, it should also be taken into consideration that collateral vessels may develop in time. In the elderly, so they can overcome the infarction more easily which increases the possibility of surviving their post-infarction life.

Keywords: acute myocardial infarction, ST-elevation, age