Younger women more likely to have and die from acute myocardial infarction

Young women, ages 55 years or below, are more likely to be hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to die within the first 30 days than men in the same age group, according to a new study published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Journal of Women's Health website.

In fact, although overall AMI hospitalization rates declined for both women and men from 2000-2009 in this Canadian study, the only increase was for younger women (<55 years), in whom the AMI rate rose 1.7% per year. Furthermore, Mona Izadnegahdar and coauthors, University of British Columbia and Providence Health Care Research Institute (Vancouver, BC), reported that the higher 30-day mortality rate for young women compared to young men persisted throughout the study period.

"These findings highlight the need for more aggressive strategies to reduce the incidence of AMI and improve outcomes after AMI in younger women," says Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health, Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA, and President of the Academy of Women's Health.