Infections in early life and premature acute coronary syndrome: A case-control study

Abstract

Background Infections in young children may affect the vasculature and initiate early atherosclerosis. Whether infections experienced in childhood play a part in adult clinical cardiovascular disease remains unclear. We investigated the association between infections in early life and the occurrence of premature coronary heart disease. Methods We conducted a population-based case-control study of 153 patients with a first acute coronary syndrome before the age of 56 years and 153 age- and sex-matched controls. Any history of severe infections in childhood and adolescence was obtained, together with clinical and laboratory measurements and other cardiovascular risk factors. We developed an in..