The risk of myocardial infarction among Finnish farmers seeking medical care for an infection.

Abstract

This study determined whether people visiting a doctor because of infection had an increased risk of myocardial infarction. For 83 case patients and 249 matched control patients nested in a cohort of 3172 Finnish male farmers, comparisons were made on the basis of visits to a doctor because of infection. Infections of the upper respiratory tract were statistically significantly associated with coronary artery disease. The odds ratio was 3.2 (95% confidence interval = 1.2, 8.5) for patients visiting a doctor four or more times because of infection of upper respiratory tract compared with patients with three or fewer visits. Men in this sample with recurrent or chronic infections of the upper respiratory tract exhibited a pronounced risk for myocardial infarction.