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08-Mar-2007
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Arch Hellen Med, 23(4), July-August 2006, 365-374 ORIGINAL PAPER Epidemiology of acute coronary syndromes in Greece: G. KURLABA,1 C. PITSAVOS,1 D. PANAGIOTAKOS,2 A. ANTONOULAS,3 S. ZOMBOLOS,4 Y. KOGIAS,5 Y. MANTAS,6 P. STRAVOPODIS,7 C. STEFANADIS1 |
OBJECTIVE The Greek study of acute coronary syndromes (GREECS) was conducted in order to evaluate the annual incidence of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and to delineate the role of clinical, biochemical, lifestyle and behavioral characteristics in the severity of disease. This paper presents the design and methodology of the study, and various baseline characteristics of the people with ACS included in the study.
METHOD A sample of 6 hospitals located in Greek urban and rural regions was selected. In these hospitals almost all admissions due to ACS were recorded from October 2003 to September 2004. Socio-demographic, clinical, dietary, psychological and other lifestyle characteristics were recorded.
RESULTS The study sample comprised 2,172 patients, 76% men and 24% women. The crude annual incidence rate was 22.6 per 10,000 people and the highest frequency of events was observed in winter. The in-hospital mortality rate was 4.3%. The most common discharge diagnosis for men was Q-wave myocardial infarction, while for women it was unstable angina. There was a strong association between the severity of the disease and the presence of hypertension, diabetes and a history of coronary heart disease. Inverse relationships were observed between adoption of the mediterranean diet, physical activity and stopping smoking and the severity of ACS.
CONCLUSIONS This study provides current information about the epidemiology of patients who suffer from ACS in Greece.
Key words: Clinical characteristics, Discharge diagnosis, Incidence of coronary disease, Severity of acute coronary syndromes.
