Effect of Iraqi missile war on incidence of acute myocardial infarction and sudden death in Israeli civilians

The Iraqi missile attack on Israel provided a unique opportunity to study the effects of fright due to a perceived threat of annihilation on the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (Ml) and sudden death among the civilian population. During the first days of the Gulf war we noted a sharp rise i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Lancet (British edition) 1991-09, Vol.338 (8768), p.660-661
Main Authors: Meisel, S.R., Dayan, K.I., Pauzner, H., Chetboun, I., Arbel, Y., David, D., Kutz, I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiology. Vascular system
Cardiovascular disease
Coronary heart disease
Death
Death, Sudden - epidemiology
Electrocardiography
Emergency Medical Services
Fatalities
Fear & phobias
Female
Gulf War
Heart
Heart attacks
Heart diseases
Humans
Incidence
Iraq
Israel - epidemiology
Male
Medical research
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Mortality
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial Infarction - epidemiology
Myocardial Infarction - psychology
Patients
Persian Gulf crisis
Persian Gulf War
Population studies
Sex ratio
Stress
Stress, Psychological - etiology
Thrombolysis
Tropical medicine
War
Warfare
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Summary:The Iraqi missile attack on Israel provided a unique opportunity to study the effects of fright due to a perceived threat of annihilation on the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (Ml) and sudden death among the civilian population. During the first days of the Gulf war we noted a sharp rise in the incidence of acute Ml and sudden death in our area compared with five control periods. Patient population in the various study periods did not differ significantly in age, sex ratio, hospital mortality, or proportion of patients in whom the acute event was the first presentation of coronary disease. However, during the first period of the war there were more cases of anterior wall MI and more patients received thrombolytic therapy than during control periods. Despite the continuing missile threat, the incidence of acute Ml reverted to normal after the initial phase of the Gulf war.
ISSN:0140-6736
1474-547X
DOI:10.1016/0140-6736(91)91234-L