Factors related to long-term prognosis following acute myocardial infarction. Importance of left ventricular function.

Factors related to 2-year and 4-year prognosis after acute myocardial infarction were studied in a series of 158 men. Stepwise multiple discriminant analysis was applied to findings recorded during hospital admission and to results of an exercise test carried out 6-8 weeks after the infarction. The best indicators for predicting a poor prognosis in the course of the following 2 years were a low systolic blood pressure on exercise and a palpable paradoxical cardiac pulsation. During the 4-year follow-up an abnormality of P terminal force in the ECG, which reflects left atrial overload, was the main predictor of poor prognosis.