Clinical features of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in young Chinese patients

BACKGROUND: To investigate the clinical characteristics, angiographic findings and clinical outcomes (in-hospital) of young adults with acute myocardium infarction in a Chinese population. METHODS: This was an observational study. Five hundred and forty-nine patients who suffered with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) firstly between January 2013 and December 2015 were enrolled consecutively. All patients were divided into two groups: “young group” patients were ≤ 50 years old; and “non-young group” patients were > 50 years old. Clinical features were compared, angiographic findings and clinical outcomes were observed between the two groups. RESULTS: There were 131 and 418 patients included in the young group and the non-young group, respectively. Twenty-eight patients suffered deaths during the hospital stay and only one death occurred in the young group. Compared with non-young group, the young group was associated with male, smoke, fewer chronic diseases, Killip class I on admission, lower level of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), higher level of triglyceride and lower level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), single-vessel lesion and intracoronary thrombus (p < 0.005). The average length of hospital stay of non-young group was 1.5 days longer than the young group. Compared with the non-young group, the young group inclined not to use or use only one stent (p = 0.026). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that older age, shorter hospital stay, advanced Killip class III/IV, increased white blood cell and NT-proBNP were independent risk factors for survival in acute STEMI patients during hospitalization (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with non-young group, the young group was associated with male, smoke, higher level of triglyceride and lower level of HDL-C. The condition of patients in young group were relatively mild and the risk of death during hospitalization was lower than the other group.