Study on 372 Military and Civillian Patients with Myocardial Infarction Hospitalized in 1991 and 2001 years

Aims. Coronary artery diseases, the most prominent of which is myocardial infarction, are the biggest causes of mortality (1) in the world.   On account of the fact that there were no statistics about the mean age of infarction in military personnel and the possibility that it could be low, this study was conducted to determine the mean age of myocardial infarction in the military and compare the results with the mean age of infarction among civilians. Methods. 372 patients with diagnosis of myocardial infarction admitted to Baqiyatallah and Jamaran Hospitals between 1991 and 2001 were selected, and the results were analyzed statistically using SPSS software. Results. From a total number of 372 patients, 73 were military and the rest were non-military people. The mean age of MI in our overall study was 61.2 and 49.7 years among the civilians and non-civilians, respectively. In 1991, however, the mean age was 60.6 ± 11 for non-members and 53.8 ± 8.5 for the members of the armed forces (P=0.03). In 2001, the mean age was 61.8 ± 11 for civilians and 45.7 ± 8.4 for the military staff (P < 0.001). Conclusion. The mean age of MI is about 10 years lower in our country in comparison with that in developed countries, and there has been no significant change in the recent decade. This mean age is about 11 years lower in our armed forces. Risks factors, especially cigarette smoking and hyperlipidemia, and an unhealthy life style could be the probable causes of a lower myocardial infarction age among our military and non-military people.