The incidence of myocardial infarction

I studied 183 patients with myocardial infarction including sudden deaths related to ischaemic heart disease occurring in general practice during a period of four years.

The figures are examined by age, sex, history of event, and place of treatment. The ratio of male to female infarctions was 2:1, males having a mean age of 63 years and females 71 years.

The total death rate for all myocardial infarctions was 46 per cent, but if sudden deaths are excluded, the rate becomes 24 per cent.

The annual incidence of myocardial infarction per 1,000 in the practice population of 11,195 was 4.1 and the total annual death rate per 1,000 was 1.9.