Clinical features of acute myocardial infarction: A report from Halibet Referral Hospital in Eritrea

Background: Acute myocardial infarction is one of the commonest manifestations of ischemic heart diseases treated at a hospital setting. Coronary heart disease (CHD) has been reported to be rare in Africa due to environmental rather than genetic factors. To our knowledge there is no study done about CHD in Eritrean patients. We undertook a retrospective study of data from clinical records of patients admitted to the intensive care unit following diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during four years period from May 1997 to June 2001. Objective: To determine the incidence and risk factors of AMI in Eritrea. Methods: Clinical records of all confirmed cases of AMI admitted to Halibet Hospital in Asmara, Eritrea, were reviewed, criteria for diagnosis set and risk factors analyzed. The incidence of AMI was compared to the general medical admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Findings: There were 71 cases of AMI giving an incidence of 4.35 per 1000 admissions to Halibet referral hospital. The average age was about 60 years and the male female ratio was 5 to 1. Uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking were the major risk factors identified. Mortality rate was found to be at 35.8%. Interpretation: AMI is not rare in Eritrea. The risk factors for AMI in our setting were similar to those reported in other studies done elsewhere. Westernized life style may further increase the incidence of AMI.