Myocardial infarction (MI) is the most serious form of ischemic heart disease (IHD) or coronary artery disease. Santé publique France is tasked with studying the epidemiological trends of these conditions and implementing appropriate preventive measures.

Monitoring of Myocardial Infarction

Santé publique France has established a surveillance program for myocardial infarction based on:

• Medical-administrative databases consolidated within the National Health Data System (SNDS), particularly hospitalization data from the PMSI-MCO

• Medical causes of death from the Center for Epidemiology on Medical Causes of Death (CépiDc) of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)

• The “Handicap-Santé” surveys, which aim to estimate the “reported” prevalence of a history of ischemic heart disease in the French adult population and to describe activity limitations, social participation restrictions, and the quality of life of people with these conditions.

• The MONICA (MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease) registries, which cover the populations of the Bas-Rhin and Haute-Garonne departments and the municipalities of the Lille urban community. The three French MONICA registries were conducted from 1984 through 1993. At the end of the MONICA program, the MONICA-France group decided to continue recording acute coronary events in the same populations. Thus, case registration resumed in 1997 among the population aged 35 to 74 years, with the recorded condition being:

  • Acute myocardial infarction, based on the clinician’s diagnosis and, where applicable, autopsy data. The diagnosis must have been made within 28 days of symptom onset,

  • Deaths (in-hospital and out-of-hospital) with a definite or possible coronary etiology, including sudden or unattended deaths that cannot be linked to a known condition.

Since 2006, the registry has been expanded to include all episodes of acute coronary insufficiency.

Santé publique France also monitors the links between air pollution and health, including cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease and its most severe form, myocardial infarction.

Preventing and Addressing Myocardial Infarctions

As part of its prevention mission, Santé publique France provides information and recommends appropriate preventive measures, such as lifestyle and dietary guidelines to follow to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and recurrence.

• Information for the general public

Santé publique France provides the general public with several websites outlining the lifestyle and dietary guidelines to follow to prevent the risk of myocardial infarction. These sites promote a varied and balanced diet, regular physical activity, reducing sedentary behavior, and quitting smoking.