RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Decline in incidence of hospitalisation for acute myocardial infarction in the Netherlands from 1995 to 2000 JF Heart JO Heart FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society SP 162 OP 165 DO 10.1136/hrt.2004.054486 VO 92 IS 2 A1 H L Koek A1 A de Bruin A1 A Gast A1 E Gevers A1 J W P F Kardaun A1 J B Reitsma A1 D E Grobbee A1 M L Bots YR 2006 UL http://heart.bmj.com/content/92/2/162.abstract AB Objective: To study the change in incidence of hospitalisation for a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the Netherlands from 1995 to 2000. Methods: Patients hospitalised with their first AMI in the Netherlands in 1995 and 2000 were identified through linkage of the national hospital discharge register and the population register. Results: 21 565 patients hospitalised for their first AMI in 1995 and 19 058 patients hospitalised for their first AMI in 2000 were identified. In both years, the age specific incidence of hospitalisation for a first AMI was higher in men than in women and increased with age (up to 90 years). In both men and women, the age standardised incidence was lower in 2000 than in 1995, a decline of 19% (95% confidence interval 17% to 21%) and 17% (95% confidence interval 14% to 19%), respectively. Conclusions: Our study provides the first nationwide incidence estimates of first AMI in the Netherlands. From 1995 to 2000, the risk of AMI declined considerably.