CIGARETTE SMOKING, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN DIABETIC AND NONDIABETIC PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Risk factors for coronary disease, apart from some others, are cigarette smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, overweight and obesity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of these three risk factors of coronary disease among diabetics and nondiabetics treated for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) before the war in 1991, during the war in 1993, and after the war in 1996. The aim was also to establish whether there were differences in the frequency of these three factors in diabetics treated for AMI among the three study years. The study included diabetic and nondiabetic patients with AMI hospitalized at the Department of Medicine, Cantonal Hospital in Zenica during the mentioned period. According to study years, there were 163 AMI patients in 1991, 36 (22.09%) of them diabetic and 127 (77.91%) nondiabetic ; 174 AMI patients in 1993, 31 (17.82%) of them diabetic and 143 (82.18%) nondiabetic ; and 169 AMI patients in 1996, 27 (15.98%) of them diabetic and 142 (84.02%) nondiabetic. Patient data were obtained from medical files of the Department of Medicine, Cantonal Hospital in Zenica, and a few missing data directly from the patients or their close relatives through a questionnaire. The study was retrospective in design. Statistical analysis was done by use of chi2-test and t-test. Data are shown in tables and figures. There were significantly fewer smokers and alcohol users among diabetic compared to nodiabetic AMI patients in all three study years. On the other hand, there was a significantly higher percent of overweight and obese patients among diabetic compared to nondiabetic AMI patients. A significantly higher percent of smokers and alcohol abuse patients were recorded among diabetic AMI patients in 1991 and 1993 compared to 1996. However, there was a statistically significantly higher percent of overweight and obese patients among diabetic AMI patients in 1991 and 1996 than in 1993. In conclusion, we found a statistically lower percent of smokers and alcohol abusers but a higher percent of overweight and obese patients among diabetic as compared to nondiabetic AMI patients. Among diabetic AMI patients there was a statistically higher percent of smokers and alcohol abusers in 1991 and 1993 than in 1996, and a statistically lower percent of overweight and obese patients in 1993 compared to 1991 and 1996.