Comparison of cardiac arrhythmia prevalence in smoking and non smoking myocardial infarction patients admitted in Hajar University hospital, Shahrekord, 2006

Smoking is one of the main reversible risk factors for coronary artery disease. Incidence of arrhythmia induced by myocardial infarction is the most important reason for death in these patients. Mortality rate in smoking myocardial infarction patients is grater than non smoking patients, but the aim of this study was to compare the incidence of arrhythmias between smoking and non smoking myocardial infarction patients. In this case and control descriptive analytic study, 200 myocardial infarction patients (100 smoking & 100 non-smoking patients) who were referred to cardiac care unite in Hajar university hospital were selected. Data were collected using questionnaires, filing the form of physiological variables, laboratory findings and finally types of arrhythmias and myocardial infarctions. Data were analyzed by the independent-t test and the Fishers exact test. The average age in smoking patients was 54.23±8.12 and it was 55.23±8.11 in non-smoking patients. Type of myocardial infarctions in 70.5% of the cases was anterior myocardial infarction and the rest was inferior myocardial infarction. Our study showed that the type of arrhythmia in smoking group was different than non-smoking group. Sinus tachycardia, Atrial Flutter, preventricular heart beat, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation were higher in smoking group compared to the non-smoking group (P<0.05) According to this study, the incidence of arrhythmia in smoking patients with myocardial infarction is greater than non-smoking patients. Therefore, more attention should be focused on smoking patients with myocardial infarction for arrhythmia.