Long term follow-up of inferior myocardial infarction. Prognostic significance of precordial ST segment depression.

A group of 123 consecutive patients with acute transmural inferior myocardial infarction were compared according to the presence or absence of precordial ST segment depression on admission to hospital. There was a significant increase in mean age, peak creatine kinase levels, and the incidence of left ventricular failure and high grade atrioventricular block in the group with precordial ST segment depression. There was also an increase in in-hospital mortality in this group but this difference was not significant. Despite these differences in in-hospital progress, during a follow-up period of over two years there was no difference in long term mortality, recurrence of angina, or subsequent cardiac-related admissions between the two groups.