Table 1.
Characteristics of patients (N = 228)
| N(%) or mean ± SD | |
|---|---|
| Sociodemographic factors | |
| Men/women | 178/50 |
| Age (years) | 59.0 ± SD 11.2 |
| Ethnicity: White European | 180 (78.9) |
| Married | 146 (64.0) |
| Socioeconomic factors | |
| Educational status | |
| High School/University qualification | 77 (33.8) |
| Below High School qualification | 53 (23.2) |
| No educational qualifications | 98 (43.0) |
| Cardiac history and risk factors | |
| Previous myocardial infarction | 26 (11.5) |
| Hypertensive | 107 (46.9) |
| Hypercholesterolemic | 104 (47.1) |
| Diabetic | 33 (13.5) |
| Current smoker | 97 (42.5) |
| Body Mass Index (kg/m2) | 27.2 ± SD 4.5 |
| Physical activity | |
| None | 149 (65.6) |
| Up to 2 times per week | 44 (19.4) |
| > 2 times per week | 34 (15.0) |
| Attribution | |
| Symptoms attributed to heart attack | 58 (25.6) |
| Clinical factors | |
| Type of acute coronary syndrome | |
| UAa/NSTEMIb | 67 (29.4) |
| STEMIc | 161 (70.6) |
| Number of pain symptoms (in addition to chest pain) | |
| None | 35 (15.4) |
| 1–3 | 127 (55.7) |
| 4–8 | 66 (28.9) |
| Number of non-pain symptoms | |
| None | 47 (20.6) |
| 1–2 | 108 (47.4) |
| 3–6 | 73 (32.0) |
| Intensity of pain (0–10) | |
| < 6 | 45 (30.4) |
| 6–8 | 45 (30.4) |
| 9–10 | 58 (39.2) |
| Proximal factors | |
| Time of symptom onset (h) | |
| 0001–1200 | 122 (53.5) |
| 1201–2400 | 106 (46.5) |
| Day of onset: weekday | 145 (63.6) |
| Bystander present | 100 (54.6) |
| Location: at home | 147 (64.8) |
| Emergency medical services first contact for help | 77/171 (45.0) |
a
Unstable angina.
b
Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction.
c
ST elevation myocardial infarction.