Assessing the Association Between Total Cholesterol and Hospitalized Myocardial Infarction in Women Ages 32-70: An Analysis of the Framingham Heart Study

Objective Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women that may go undiagnosed due to unexpected symptoms. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the effect of total cholesterol on the odds of hospitalized myocardial infarction (MI). Methods This analysis used a sample of 2,445 women from the Framingham Heart Study, an observational prospective cohort study. The exposure was total cholesterol, and the outcome was hospitalized MI. Logistic regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR). The adjusted models controlled for age, blood pressure, and diabetes. Effect modification by diabetes status was evaluated in a secondary stratified analysis. Results Higher total cholesterol was associated with 2.71 greater odds of MI (95% CI, 1.29-5.68). Effect modification was also assessed: among individuals with diabetes, the OR was 2.54 (95% CI, 0.11–60.50; p = 0.5644), and among non-diabetics, the OR was 2.56 (95% CI, 1.22–5.38; p = 0.0134). Conclusion High total cholesterol was significantly associated with increased odds of hospitalized MI. Diabetes may have a modifying effect on this association.