VaMIS (Vastmanland Myocardial Infarction Study)

Study Population

In the VaMIS cohort, consecutive patients treated at the Dept. of Cardiology at Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden, were included if they met the following criteria:

  1. diagnosed acute myocardial infarction
  2. living in the catchment area of Västmanland Hospital Västerås, Sweden

For the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, the following criteria applied (according to the ESC's guidelines that were in force at the time of inclusion):

Troponin I level of ≥ 0.4 µg/L with subsequent decline in combination with any of the following:

  1. symptoms of myocardial ischemia,
  2. ECG changes indicating myocardial ischaemia (ST depressions or elevations),
  3. development of Q wave on ECG, or
  4. coronary intervention.

Between November 2005 and May 2011, there were 1459 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Of these potential patients, some were excluded due to language difficulties (n=57), dementia/confusion (n=81), other severe illness (n=62), logistical problems (n=106), unwillingness to participate (n=50) and other reasons (n=95). Thus, 1008 (69.1%) patients remained as the study population.

Study protocol

The subjects underwent a comprehensive battery of examinations including:

  • Questionnaire including past and current medical problems, medication, tobacco and alcohol habits, physical activity, morbidity in the family, quality of life, type-D personality, etc.
  • Height, weight, measurements of waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure in arms and ankles
  • Peak expiratory flow (PEF) and handgrip strength
  • Resting 12-lead ECG
  • Ultrasound examinations of the heart (echocardiography) and vessels (carotid arteries, renal arteries, abdominal aorta)
  • Coronary angiography (applies to approximately 800 patients)
  • Patients without previously known diabetes underwent a glucose load test (with measurement of fasting B-glucose before and 120 minutes after ingestion of 75 g of glucose per oral)
  • Blood tests (including "blood, electrolyte and liver status", troponin I, P-glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol and its fractions, triglycerides, apolipoproteins, CRP, cystatin C, NT-proBNP, insulin, proinsulin, thyroid status). Blood samples are also aliquoted into microtubes and stored frozen at the Uppsala Biobank for future analyses.