PREMATURE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN MILITARY AND NON-MILITARY INDIVIDUALS

INTRODUCTION: Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is a major cause of death all over the world. When the afflicted individual is under the age of 40, the tragic consequences for family, friends, and occupation are particularly catastrophic and unexpected. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, all of the 12010 patients with symptoms of coronary artery disease including chest pain, dyspnea, palpitation, dizziness and syncope were candidates for coronary artery angiography and hospitalized in Jamaran Heart Center or Baqyiatallah General Hospital between 2002 and 2004. Patients were divided into militarist and non-militarist. RESULTS: Out of the total number of patients, 9663 (80.8%) were affected with coronary artery disease and the rest (19.2%) did not have any positive angiographic indication in favor of coronary artery disease. Fifty-five percent of coronary artery disease cases happened among under- 55-year-olds in the military group while this figure was 32% in the non-military group (P= 0.024). So, military activity may reduce the age of coronary artery disease manifestations. CONCLUSION: Considering the fact that the relative frequency of military personnel with coronary artery disease was higher compared with the non-military individuals below 45 years of age, and given frequency distribution of risk factors in the former being different from military personnel above 45 years of age, it seems that the management of cardiovascular disease prevention in military personnel should be different from other population groups; they in fact need earlier and more precise control.