WOMEN AND MEXICAN-AMERICANS RECEIVE FEWER CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGS FOLLOWING MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION THAN MEN AND NON-HISPANIC WHITES - THE CORPUS-CHRISTI HEART PROJECT, 1988-1990

Mortality following myocardial infarction (MI) is greater among women than men and among Mexican Americans than non-Hispanic whites, Because therapy can affect mortality following MI, we examined differences in discharge therapy among these groups. Data regarding discharge therap y of 982 patients in the Corpus Christi Heart Project showed that wome n received fewer cardiovascular drugs than men,and Mexican Americans r eceived fewer cardiovascular drugs than non-Hispanic whites. In multiv ariate analysis adjusting for age, cigarettes smoking, diabetes, hyper tension, congestive heart failure, and serum cholesterol, the odds rat io for receipt of cardiovascular medications was 0.51 (95% CI: 0.28-0. 93) for women versus men and 0.62 (0.3-1.15) for Mexican Americans ver sus non Hispanic whites. Beta-blockers were prescribed rarely. Thus, t reatment differences between ethnic and gender groups were observed fo llowing MI. Further research is needed to determine both the reasons f or these differences and the extent to which these differences contrib ute to the observed survival patterns following MI.