[Comparative studies of sudden and non-sudden death due to coronary disease].

A comparative study of patients dying acutely and non-acutely from coronary heart disease was performed. The average age of the acute death group was significantly lower than the non-acute death group. There is no difference between the average age at death of the latter and that of those persons who died from non-coronary causes. The majority of patients with chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD) died a sudden death. This proportion is especially high among males under 50. Taking into account the different manifestations of chronic ischemic heart disease most males and females with sudden death died as a consequence of acute coronary insufficiency. In the group of non-acute coronary deaths, acute and recurrent myocardial infarction dominated as the cause of death. Coronary thrombosis was less frequent in the acute compared to the non-acute death group. There was no significant difference in the frequency of cardiac rupture between the two groups. Severe coronary arteriosclerosis was substantially more frequent in the acute group compared with the non-acute.