Monitoring trends in severity of acute myocardial infarction: challenges for the next millennium

Epidemiology of myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction is a key component of the burden of cardiovascular disease. The assessment of the incidence and case fatality of myocardial infarction are important determinants of the decline in coronary disease mortality. The change in biomarkers used to diagnose myocardial infarction raises several methodologic, clinical, and public health challenges, which are discussed herein.

Trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of cardiovascular disease risk factors among noninstitutionalized patients with a history of myocardial infarction and stroke

Rates of hypertension, high low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus awareness, treatment, and control for persons with a history of myocardial infarction and stroke were compared by using two nationally representative samples of the US population: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1988-1994 (n = 1,004) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1999-2002 (n = 512). Estimated numbers of adult myocardial infarction and stroke survivors increased from 6.32 to 6.78 million and from 3.85 to 4.96 million, respectively. Among such survivors, awareness of a previous diagnosis of hypertension and prevalence of self-reported diabetes mellitus remained stable while awareness of high LDL cholesterol increased from 43.3% to 60.2% (p < 0.01). Among those aware of their diagnosis, pharmacologic treatment for high LDL cholesterol increased from 33.1% to 78.4% and pharmacologic treatment for diabetes mellitus increased from 80.0% to 93.6% during this time (each p < 0.01), while pharmacologic treatment for hypertension increased nonsignificantly. Among those receiving pharmacologic treatment, hypertension and high LDL cholesterol control increased from 48.9% to 59.3% (p = 0.05) and from 5.1% to 33.1% (p < 0.01), respectively. In contrast, glycemic control among diabetics decreased from 45.0% to 33.2% (p = 0.20). The number of US myocardial infarction and stroke survivors increased between 1988-1994 and 1999-2002, and substantial improvements occurred in the awareness, treatment, and control of high LDL cholesterol in this population.