Risk factors for heart failure in survivors after first myocardial infarction

Regina Gražulevičienė^{1, 2}, Virginija Dulskienė¹

¹Laboratory of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, ²Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

Key words: myocardial infarction; heart failure; risk factors; case-control study.

Summary. Objective. We examined the prevalence and risk factors of heart failure among 25- to 64-year-old men treated in hospitals for first-time myocardial infarction.

Material and methods. A nested case-control study included 448 men with first-time myocardial infarction, treated in Kaunas hospitals during 1997–2000. Questionnaires elicited information on demographic characteristics and health problems of respondents, psychological stress, and other risk factors. A multivariate logistic regression was used to determine adjusted risk factors for heart failure.

Results. Adjustment for age, education, smoking, blood pressure, body mass index, psychological stress, and impaired glucose tolerance showed that main risk factors for development of chronicle heart failure among myocardial infarction patients were impaired glucose tolerance (OR=2.32; 95% CI 1.38–3.88), hypertension (OR=1.51; 95% CI 1.01–2.25), and overweight (OR=1.60; 95% CI 1.00–2.57). Psychological stress and smoking also tended to increase the risk for heart failure. Acute heart failure was significantly associated with impaired glucose tolerance (OR=3.15; 95% CI 1.27–7.84).

Conclusion. Risk factors for heart failure were similar to those for coronary heart disease, and their combinations significantly increased the heart failure risk.

Correspondence to R. Gražulevičienė, Laboratory of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Sukilėlių 17, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: r.grazuleviciene@gmf.vdu.lt

Received 11 October 2005, accepted 17 September 2006