CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN NONAGENARIANS: A RETROSPECTIVE AUTOPSY STUDY

: Autopsy records of two groups of persons, aged 90 years and older and 70 years and younger, were analysed for coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. In each group were 74 males and 140 females who died during 1951-1980. In nonagenarians, moderate and severe degrees of coronary atherosclerosis were more frequent, but myocardial infarction both new and old was less frequent when compared with those aged 70 and younger. The sex difference in the degree of coronary stenosis within each age group was small but the frequency of myocardial infarction was less in females in both age groups.