STROKE FOLLOWING ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION IN DIABETICS

To investigate the effect of diabetes on stroke after myocardial infar ction (MI), we studied consecutive MI patients admitted to the coronar y-care unit prospectively, and compared diabetics with non-diabetics. Seven per cent (11/148) of diabetics and 3% (8/297) of non-diabetics h ad a stroke within 1 month after MI (P = 0.020). Previous stroke and h ypertension were significant risk factors for stroke after MI in diabe tics, but there were no significant risk factors in non-diabetics. Hyp ertension was more frequent in diabetics with (12/14; 86%) than in dia betics without (63/134; 47%) a previous stroke (P < 0.025). Severe hyp otension was more frequent in diabetics (9/11) than in non-diabetics w ith stroke after MI (0/8) (P = 0.002). We conclude that hypertension i s a risk factor for stroke after MI in diabetics, and that diabetics m ay be at risk for hypotensive stroke after MI. Stroke after MI may be more frequent in diabetics than in non-diabetics.