Risk Factors for Early Myocardial Infarction in South Asians Compared With Individuals in Other Countries

CONTEXT South Asians have high rates of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at younger ages compared with individuals from other countries but the reasons for this are unclear. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of risk factors for AMI in native South Asians, especially at younger ages, compared with individuals from other countries. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Standardized case-control study of 1732 cases with first AMI and 2204 controls matched by age and sex from 15 medical centers in 5 South Asian countries and 10 728 cases and 12 431 controls from other countries. Individuals were recruited to the study between February 1999 and March 2003. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Association of risk factors for AMI. RESULTS The mean (SD) age for first AMI was lower in South Asian countries (53.0 [11.4] years) than in other countries (58.8 [12.2] years; P