Background: Epidemiological evidence shows that among women the incidence of ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (AMI), risk factors of cardiovascular disease, and mortality rate of AMI are different. The objective of this study was to compare the baseline characteristics, risk factors, medical care, and mortality of AMI between women and men.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, we examined data from medical charts and administrative files of patients that were hospitalized with AMI between 1994 and 2003 in Birjand hospitals. Questionnaires were completed by two educated nurses under the supervision of a cardiologist and the data were analyzed with SPSS software.Results: From 918 patients, 71.9% were male (M) and 28.1% were female (F). The women were older than the men (mean age 65.62±10.56yr in F vs. 58.98±12.11yr in M) and had a greater incidence of hypertension (50% in F vs. 24.6% in M, p<0.001) and diabetes mellitus (17% in F vs. 9.8% in M, p<0.006), but smoking was more common in the men (13.7% in F vs. 36.3% in M, p<0.001). Intra-hospital mortality was higher in the women but not significantly (10.4% in F vs. 8.6% in M, p=0.42). Fasting blood sugar (FBS), cholesterol level, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly higher amongst the women.Conclusion: Women with AMI had older age and higher incidence of diabetes and hypertension. Thus designing interventional programs for reducing these risk factors by education in women is needed.

Background: Human enteroviruses (EVs) may have a role as a possible risk factor in the pathogenesis of MI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of enterovirus genomic RNA in peripheral blood samples of patients with ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (MI).Methods: We investigated the presence of enterovirus genomic RNA in the peripheral blood of 115 patients with ACUTE MI hospitalized in the Coronary Care Unit of Imam Reza and Ghaem University Hospitals (Mashhad, Iran) by RT-PCR using the virus specific primers.Results: The subjects' mean (±SD) age was 63.5 (±9.4) years (range: 38-82) and 38.3 % of the subjects were female. Of 115 patient specimens, 3 (2.6%) were positive in RT-PCR.Conclusion: The prevalence of enterovirus in MI patients is considerable. More investigations are needed to determine the causal role of enteroviruses in MI.

Background: The chronobiology of the ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (AMI) is an interesting matter for recognition of the biological mechanism that might trigger AMI. The present study was aimed to investigate the circadian, seasonal and circannual variation of the AMI occurrence with solar, lunar, and Christian months.Patients and Method: A retrospective study of 1147 cases with diagnosis of AMI was conducted. All the cases were admitted to the coronary care unit of Shahid Beheshti and Yahyanejad Hospital in Babol, north of Iran, between 1990 to 2000. The date was extracted by the day and months of diagnosis based on the solar, lunar and Christian calender from hospital charts. The Chi-square test was used to test the uniformity of the observed frequencies of AMI onset in the different months based on solar, lunar Christian and the days of the week.Results: The result showed that there was a significant trend toward higher rate of MI at the beginning of the week, on Saturday (18.1%) and the least (12.3%) on Fridays. Although, the observed frequency of AMI has tendency to be higher in Ordibehesht of solar month and Shaban in lunar month than other months, the monthly-variation was not statistically significant (P>0.05). However, there was a significant difference in MI occurrence in Christian months with the highest peak in November (P<0.05). Also, we did not find a significant seasonal variation of AMI where 26.2%, 32.1%, 26.8% and 23.9% of MI occurred in spring, summer, fall, and winter respectively (P>0.05).Conclusion: Our result indicated a significant day of week variation in AMI occurrence with higher peak on Saturdays and full moon phase of lunar months.

Introduction: Ventricular rupture following MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (M.I) is a serious clinical problem with a high mortality. The aim of this study was to present a case with this disorder.Case Report: A 73 year-old man with left ventricular rupture and cardiac tamponade following MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION was managed successfully by emergency surgery. The procedure was accomplished with the use of cardiopulmonary by pass. A large PTFE patch was sutured according to the Nunez technique. Patient survived during a mean follow-up of 12 months.

Background and Aim: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common health problems in the world’s with high mortality and morbidity. Awareness to its risk factors is very important. There are some evidences about contribution of iron as a risk factor for CHD in recent years. There are few studies in this subject at the present. This study was done to determine serum ferritin and ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION and it's impossible role on early coronary vessels. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 104 patients with MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (MI), admitted to Shahid Beheshti hospital in Babol during 18 months as case group compared with 138 matched controls subjects (men 45, women 93) from regarding to serum ferritin levels.5 ml Serum were collected from each patient and ferritin level was determined by using standard biochemical and Elisa method. In last day of the second week after ACUTE MI in the laboratory. To diagnose ACUTE MI was based on two positive parameters such as typical chest pain, electrocardiographic changes and enzyme rising. Ferritin mean level of the two groups was compared by T and chi-square tests. Case and control group ferritin were compared in less and higher then 50 years old.Results: The mean age of patients, were 60.23±12 years old and in controls were 55.72±25 years old. Mean ferritin levels in men with ACUTE MI were 209.2±178.6 μg/l and in controls were 75.4±53.2 which was significant (P<0.0001). In the women with ACUTE MI mean serum ferritin were 145.1±15.2 μg/l which was meaningful compared with controls, 72.5±61.3 μg/l (P<0.004).Conclusion: Our findings showed, the relationship between ferritin levels and MI in patients with ACUTE MI. therefore evaluation of ferritin in patients with ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION is important.