Comparison of traditional risk factors, angiographic findings, and in-hospital mortality between smoking and nonsmoking Turkish men and women with acute myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of smoking is high in Turkey. However, there are no data available evaluating the differences between smokers and nonsmokers according to their sex in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Turkey.


HYPOTHESIS
The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of smoking and its relationship to age, localization, and extension of coronary heart disease (CHD), and other risk factors in Turkish men and women with first AMI.


METHODS
This study included, 1502 patients with first AMI from 3 different cities in Turkey. The baseline characteristics and traditional risk factors for CHD, Coronary angiographic results, and in-hospital outcome were recorded.


RESULTS
The proportion of male smokers was significantly higher than that of women (68% vs 18%, P < 0.001). Smokers were younger by almost a decade than nonsmokers (P < 0.001). Male nonsmokers were younger than females; however, the mean age of first AMI was similar in male and female smokers. In both genders, prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus was significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers (P < 0.001). Smokers had less multivessel disease and less comorbidity as compared to nonsmokers. Although the in-hospital mortality rate was lower in smokers, smoking status was not an independent predictor of mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking, by decreasing the age of first AMI in women, offsets the age difference in first AMI between men and women. The mean age of first AMI is lower in Turkey than most European countries due to a high percentage of smoking.