[Interheart: nine risk factors predic nine out of ten myocardial infarctions]

INTERHEART is a standardised case-control study of acute myocardial infarction in 52 countries representing every inhabited continent. 15152 cases and 14820 controls were enrolled. Collectively, 9 factors accounted for 90% of myocardial infarctions in men and 94% in women. These factors were 6 risk factors (dyslipidaemia characterized by high apoB/apoA1 ratio, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, abdominal obesity and stressful psychosocial factors) and 3 protective factors (daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, regular alcohol consumption, and regular physical activity). These findings suggest that interventions targeting these 9 factors have the potential to prevent most premature cases of myocardial infarction and that these strategies should be implemented worldwide.

Original article in French.