Risk factors were compared in 42 patients (pts) with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 18 with radiographically patent arteries (RPA) on angiography performed three weeks to six months after documented myocardial infarction (Ml). All pts had typical clinical and laboratory findings during the acute attack. All pts were below age 50 and both groups had a similar distribution of racial background (Caucasian, black and Mexican-American). Psychiatric problems were not more frequent in either group. The data demonstrated a high prevalence of standard risk factors in the CAD group for hypertension (28 of 42 = 67%), hypercholesterolemia (25 of 42 = 60%) and smoking (17 of 42 = 64%), and similarly high prevalence of smoking (16 of 18 = 89%), heavy labor (12 of 18 = 61%) and obesity (9 of 18 = 50%) in the RPA group. Factors significantly more common in the CAD group as compared to the RPA group by the Chi Square test were:Hypertension (P < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (P < 0.001), diabetes (P < 0.001), and family history (P < 0.05). Factors more common in the RPA group were heavy alcohol consumption (P < 0.001), smoking (P < 0.05), heavy laborer occupation (P < 0.001) and obesity (P < 0.001). The data suggest that risk factor screening would identify individuals at risk from coronary artery disease but would be unreliable in identifying individuals at risk for MI with RPA. Further study is indicated to determine what factors operate to produce ischemia and infarction in the RPA group of pts.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Older Adults at Risk for Coronary Artery Disease: A Pilot Randomized Trial
