Non Clinical Risk Factors of Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis Approach

Abstract

IntroductionCardiovascular disease is a commonly used term that refers to the diseases that affect the heart and other parts of the cardiac system of the body. The cardiovascular diseases that affect the coronary arteries of the heart are called Coronary Heart Diseases (CHD) [1]. Myocardial Infarction (MI) is one of the diseases in this group. A large number of people die every year due to this fatal disease. In 2013, the number of people who died from cardiovascular disease (CVD) was more than 17.3 million (95% uncertainty interval, 16.5 to 18.1), representing an increase from 1990 of 40.8% [2]. The burden of Coronary Heart Disease is increasing at a greater rate in South Asian countries than the other countries of the world. It has been estimated that the risk of MI would be doubled in the next 20 years [3]. According to American Heart Association, approximately one of every six deaths in United States is caused by MI [4,5]. Another study showed that the high prevalence of MI in Pakistan with more than 30% of the population over 45 years of age is affected by this disease [3]. This statistics has revealed that this disease is growing at alarming rate in the world. A mammoth literature is available on this disease. As a result many medical, social, economic, demographic risk factors were explored in the literature.In this literature medical factors got significant attention by medical professionals and practitioners. The least attention has been paid to non-clinical factors (demographic and socioeconomic factors) which can play significant role in causing MI [6][7][8]. Age, gender and family history of MI are demographic factors and education is a socioeconomic factor. Age and gender has been found as powerful risk factors of MI [9]. It has also been observed that chances of getting MI increases as the age of the patients increases. Another study shows that MI in patients less than the age of 40 is 10% of all the cases [10]. A study conducted in Bangladesh shows that the incidence of AMI was more frequent among the patients of age group 50-59 years [11]. Recently a health survey conducted in England suggests that 4% of men and 0.5% of women have had an MI [12]; however, after the age of 70 both genders have equal chance of getting this disease. It has been observed that women have experienced their first MI on the average 9 years later than men [13].Family history of heart diseases has also emerged as an important predictor of MI in many studies. A family history of MI increases the risk of CHD especially for MI. The National Cholesterol Education Program highlights that an individual may have a positive history of MI if his close blood relative male (father or brother) has MI younger than 55 years or female (his mother or sister) has MI younger than 65 years [14]. AbstractBackground: Myocardial Infarction (MI) is a coronary heart disease that is one of the main causes of the mortality over the globe. There are various clinical and non-clinical risk factors that can be further classified as modifiable and non...