Aim: To assess the association between religion, Muslim vs Christian, and myocardial infarction in the population of Tirana, capital of Albania.
Method: A hospital-based case-control study included all patients with acute non-fatal myocardial infarction hospitalized in Tirana University Hospital Center between October 1999 and June 2001. There were 146 women with the mean age (+/-standard deviation) of 62+/-9 years and 331 men aged 59+/-10 years. Control group consisted of 616 hospital-based patients recruited from University Departments of Orthopedics and Ear, Nose, and Throat. The control group included 227 women aged 60+/-10 years, and 389 men aged 60+/-9 years. A structured questionnaire was administered to all participants to collect self-reported data on socio-demographic factors, life-style and behavioral factors, diet, and pre-existing conditions. All participants had their height and weight measured.
Results: Among patients with myocardial infarction, 98 women (67%) and 244 men (74%) identified themselves as Muslims, as compared to 164 women (72%) and 265 men (68%) in the control group. There was no evidence of association between myocardial infarction and religion in women, whereas Muslim men had a higher risk of a first non-fatal myocardial infarction than Christians (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-1.82). Upon adjustment for covariates, there was no evidence of a significant association between religion and myocardial infarction neither in men (OR,1.20; 95% CI, 0.85-1.70), nor in women (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.59-1.60).
Conclusion: The occurrence of myocardial infarction among Muslims and Christians in Tirana was similar, suggesting that cardiovascular morbidity is not affected by the religious affiliation of Albanian adults.