Abstract
Coronary heart disease, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is the nation's leading cause of death. This study examined the characteristics and outcomes of 397 African American (AA) patients within one year of hospitalization due to AMI at Grady Memorial Hospital (GMH) in Atlanta. The PREMIER study, a nationwide registry, maintained by John Spertus MD, included data from patient interviews, medical records, and clinical characteristics like diabetes, hypertension, smoking, angina frequency and quality of life was used. Patient characteristics, associated with a major adverse event (MAE) within one-year post AMI were evaluated using SAS. Results showed a trend of higher odds of younger age, hypertension, and diabetes in women than men at the time of hospitalization. Although this study did not show any gender differences in the outcomes of AA patients following AMI, a trend of effect modification by gender on various variables was seen. Further research is recommended to examine factors contributing to gender differences in outcomes after an AMI.
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