Acute Myocardial Infarction in Pregnancy

Abstract

Background— The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, mortality, and risk factors for pregnancy-related acute myocardial infarction in the United States. Methods and Results— The Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 2000 to 2002 was queried for all pregnancy-related discharges. A total of 859 discharges included a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, for a rate of 6.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0 to 9.4) per 100 000 deliveries. Among these, there were 44 deaths, for a case fatality rate of 5.1%. The odds of acute myocardial infarction were 30-fold higher for women aged 40 years and older than for women Conclusions— Although acute myocardial infarction is a rare event in women of reproductive age, pregnancy increases the risk 3- to 4-fold. Certain medical conditions and complications of pregnancy increase the risk further and are potentially modifiable risk factors.