Influence of pre-infarction angina on mid-term mortality after acute myocardial infarction

Introduction and objectives. Pre-infarction angina may reduce the extent of myocardial cell necrosis and improves the prognosis after myocardial infar ction. The aim of this study was to analyze the total mortality six-month a fter acute myocardial infarction according to the presence or absence of pr e-infarction angina. Methods. One hundred seventy-five consecutive patients with acute myocardia l infarction were prospectively included, 72 (41.4%) with pre-infarction an gina. They were followed for 6 months. There were 16 deaths (15.5%) in the group of patients without pre-infarction angina and 7 (9.7%) in the group w ith pre-infarction angina (log-rank = 1.03; p 0.311). The hazard-risk funct ion curves showed a higher risk of death during the entire follow-up in the group without pre-infarction angina. In the multivariate logistic regressi on model, the presence of pre-infarction angina does not significantly redu ce the risk of death (OR = 0.43; CI 95% = 0.09-2.22; p = 0.303). We detecte d a significant interaction between treatment with sulfonylureas before the infarction and the presence of pre-infarction angina (p = 0.017). Conclusions. In this study no significant differences were observed in tota l mortality six months after acute myocardial infarction according to the p resence of pre-infarction angina. However, the risk of death seemed to be h igher in the group of patients without pre-infarction angina during the ent ire follow-up. A significant interaction was found between the treatment wi th sulfonylurea drugs before infarction and the presence of pre-infarction angina.