Influence of gender in acute and long-term cardiac mortality after a first myocardial infarction

Abstract The effect of gender and other clinical variables on short-term and long-term cardiac mortality after a first transmural myocardial infarction (MI) was assessed in a population-based hospital register. A cohort of 1216 consecutive patients (1023 men and 193 women), 25–74 years old admitted to the only reference hospital with a coronary care unit at Girona, Northeastern Spain, were recruited for 1978 to 1988 and followed-up for a mean period of almost 5 years (3–12 years). Compared with men, women had a relative risk (RR) of 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.99–2.48) of dying in the acute phase of MI after adjusting for age, MI location, presence of severe arrhythmias, diabetes and hypertension. However, when additionally adjusting for severity (Killip class), women presented a RR of 1.11. Age and hypertension were independent risk factors for acute mortality. Women surviving the acute period of MI showed a RR of 1.37 (CI 0.97–1.92) for long-term mortality, that was only slightly modified by Killip class during hospital stay (RR = 1.27). Age and diabetes were independent risk factors for long term mortality. It is concluded that women have a 56% excess risk for early mortality after a first transmural MI than men mainly explained by a higher severity.