Younger patients with acute coronary syndrome exhibit a distinct risk profile driven by obesity, smoking, and depression, emphasizing the need for targeted lifestyle and psychosocial interventions.
May support age-specific ACS risk assessment; leaves open whether targeted interventions improve outcomes in younger patients.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the differences in demographic, psychosocial (depression), and clinical profiles among younger (males ≤ 50 years of age and females ≤ 55 years of age) and older (males > 50 years of age and females > 55 years of age) patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). DATA SOURCES: This study is a preliminary analysis of data collected from 1140 patients with ACS enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal investigation. CONCLUSIONS: As compared to their older counterparts, younger ACS patients were significantly more likely to be obese (p < .001), to smoke (p < .001), to have a higher BDI-II depression score (p < .001), and to feel depressed in the last year (p < .001). In contrast, younger ACS patients were significantly less likely to be dyslipidemic (p < .001), diabetic (p = 0.025), or hypertensive (p < .001) than their older counterparts. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Clinicians need to be persistent in promoting the importance of weight loss and smoking cessation. Screening and treating depression in younger persons is a prudent approach. The significance of regular screening and aggressive treatment of other risk factors (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia) should not be overlooked.
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Yammine et al. (2012) studied this question.
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