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The risk of myocardial infarction among Finnish farmers seeking medical care for an infection.

J Penttinen and P Valonen

Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health, Finland.

OBJECTIVES: This study determined whether people visiting a doctor because of infection had an increased risk of myocardial infarction. METHODS: For 83 case patients and 249 matched control patients nested in a cohort of 3172 Finnish male farmers, comparisons were made on the basis of visits to a doctor because of infection. RESULTS: Infections of the upper respiratory tract were statistically significantly associated with coronary artery disease. The odds ratio was 3.2 (95% confidence interval = 1.2, 8.5) for patients visiting a doctor four or more times because of infection of upper respiratory tract compared with patients with three or fewer visits. CONCLUSION: Men in this sample with recurrent or chronic infections of the upper respiratory tract exhibited a pronounced risk for myocardial infarction.