缺血性心臟病長久以來是造成成人死亡的主要原因，造成此疾病的原因是多樣性，且此疾病的發生率隨著年紀增加而增加。年輕人發生急性心肌梗塞僅占所有心肌梗塞中患者中的一小部分，據估計心肌梗塞發生在年齡≤ 45歲的年輕族群中佔所有急性心肌梗塞患者的2-10%。而且大部份發生在男性，而女性年齡≤ 45歲發生急性心肌梗塞者則佔此年齡層之5-10%。
本硏究從2013年1月到2014年12月，因急性心肌梗塞(AMI)入住醫院，一家位於台灣中部擁有1358床的區域教學醫院(童綜合醫院)。診斷的標準是根據2007 ESC/ACC F/AHA/WHF criteria，有心肌酵素的變化再加上臨床缺血症狀或心電圖的變化或影像(imaging)上的變化。 但排除曾經做過冠狀動脈繞道手術或導管室過程造成的心肌梗塞，如果反覆的急性心肌梗塞，只收集第一次資料。符合的共有288人，其中≤ 45歲者共有27人，這組稱為年輕組(young group) ，另有156人≥ 65歲這組病患稱為老年組(elderly group) 。
研究中年輕組AMI患者共27人，占同期收治AMI患者的9.37%，而27人中只1人是女性，占同期年輕AMI患者的3.70%，老年組AMI患者共156人，占同期收治AMI患者的54.2%。而156人中有52人是女性，占同期老年AMI患者的33.3%，很明顯在我們研究AMI在兩組中，男性占了明顯的比例，特別是在年輕AMI患者 (96.3% vs 66.7% p=0.004) ，而女性發生AMI所占比例在老年組明顯高於年輕組(33.3% vs 3.7%)，可能是停經後雌性激素降低，對心血管保護減弱。 臨床症狀兩組均以胸痛比例最高，年輕組胸痛比例高達92.6%，對於風險因素的分析，年輕組中抽煙、肥胖、高膽固醇血症、家族病史等因素高於老年組，高血壓、糖尿病比例低於老年組，抽煙在年輕組AMI占了81.5%，因此戒煙對於年輕人是預防AMI的重要課題。
Ischemic heart disease continues to be the primary cause of death among adults. There is general agreement on a multifactorial etiology of the disease and that the incidence of disease increases with age. Young adults are a relatively small portion of those having acute myocardial infarction (AMI). An estimated 2 to 10% of myocardial infarctions occur in patients under the age of 45 [1]. Usually this applies to men. Women have been thought to comprise only approximately 5% to 10% of all MI patients under age 45 years [1] . In this study, a total of 288 case AMI were reviewed who were admitted to a regional teaching hospital (Tungs´Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital) from January, 2013 to December, 2014. This include 27 patient ≤ 45 years of age as young group and 156 patients ≥ 65 years of age as elderly group. In 27 young AMI patients account for the same period of total AMI patient 9.37% of the same period of total AMI patients, only one is women, accounting for 3.70% of the same period of young patients with AMI . In 156 elderly AMI patients account for 54.2% of the same period of total AMI. There are 52 are women, accounting for 33.3% over the same period of elderly AMI patients. It is clear in our study AMI in both groups, men accounted for a significant proportion, particularly in young patients with AMI (96.3% vs 66.7% p = 0.004), while women in AMI elderly group was significantly higher than the young group (33.3% vs 3.7% ), may be post-menopausal female loss of estrogen and its cardio-protective effect. Chest pain was the most common symptom in both age groups especially at young group. For risk factors analysis, the young group had high incidence of smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and family history than elderly group. Otherwise hypertension and diabetes were lower than the elderly group. Smoking among young AMI group accounted for 81.5%, smoking cessation is an important issue for young people in the prevention of AMI.
