Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Large Industrial Population

Some clinical and epidemiologic aspects of myocardial infarction were examined in 1,356 employed patients from 25 to 64 years of age. Among salaried employees, the risk of infarction appeared to be inversely related to job level. The chances of developing an attack were increased during the waking hours and among persons with hypertension, diabetes, and certain electrocardiographic abnormalities. Overweight increased the risk of infarction among men under 45 years, but not in older persons. The case fatality rate in the entire series was 30%hyper-rate was significantly elevated among older hypertensives, when the attack occurred at night, and among patients with preexisting bundle-branch block or premature ventricular contractions. The immediate prognosis was not affected by overweight or physical activity at the time of the attack, but was more favorable when the attack occurred at work.