PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - S. Fava AU - J. Azzopardi AU - H. A. Muscat AU - F. F. Fenech TI - Absence of circadian variation in the onset of acute myocardial infarction in diabetic subjects. AID - 10.1136/hrt.74.4.370 DP - 1995 Oct 01 TA - British Heart Journal PG - 370--372 VI - 74 IP - 4 4099 - http://heart.bmj.com/content/74/4/370.short 4100 - http://heart.bmj.com/content/74/4/370.full SO - Heart1995 Oct 01; 74 AB - OBJECTIVES--To investigate the circadian pattern of acute myocardial infarction in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients and to compare it with that of controls. BACKGROUND--Previous studies have shown that there is a circadian variation in the incidence of acute myocardial infarction, but there are few data on diabetic subjects. METHODS--A hospital based prospective case-control study. RESULTS--196 diabetic patients and 196 age and sex matched controls were admitted with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction during the study period. IN 32 diabetic patients and 38 controls, the time of onset of myocardial infarction was unknown; in 34, 44, 42, and 44 diabetic patients the onset was in the first to fourth quarters respectively (chi 2 = 1.66, NS). The corresponding figures for the controls were 30, 56, 45, and 27 (chi 2 = 13.9, P < 0.005). The difference between the two groups was highly significant (chi 2 = 10.3, P < 0.025). CONCLUSIONS--Diabetic subjects do not show a significant circadian variation in the onset of acute myocardial infarction.