Patterns among factors associated with myocardial infarction

Although mortality from myocardial infarction (MI) has declined worldwide due to advancements in emergency medical care and evidence-based pharmacological treatments, MI remains a significant contributor to global cardiovascular morbidity. A study examined the risk factors associated with individuals who have experienced an MI in Turkey using data obtained from the Türkiye Health Survey conducted by Turkish Statistical Institute in 2019.
The analysis identified several factors associated with an increased likelihood of MI, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, chronic disease status, male gender, older age, single marital status, lower education level, and unemployment. Marginal effects revealed that elevated hyperlipidemia levels increased the probability of MI by 4.6%, while the presence of hypertension, diabetes, or depression further heightened this risk. Additionally, individuals with chronic diseases lasting longer than six months were found to have a higher risk of MI. In contrast, factors such as being female, having higher education, being married, being employed, engaging in moderate physical activity, and moderate alcohol consumption were associated with a reduced risk of MI.
To prevent MI, emphasis should be placed on enhancing general education and health literacy. There should be a focus on increasing preventive public health education and practices to improve variables related to healthy lifestyle behaviours, such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
Source: Bayrakçeken E, Yarali S, Ercan U. et al. (2025) Patterns among factors associated with myocardial infarction: chi-squared automatic interaction detection tree and binary logit model. BMC Public Health, 25:296.