Frequency and Classification of Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries Among Young Adults Presenting with Acute Myocardial Infarction in Multan District, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68279/xagsrc95Keywords:
Acute Myocardial Infarction; MINOCA; Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries; Young Adults; Coronary Vasospasm; Microvascular Dysfunction; Risk Factors.Abstract
Background: Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a heterogeneous clinical entity that is particularly relevant in younger adults and women. Accurate differentiation from obstructive myocardial infarction and identification of the underlying mechanism are important because clinical presentation, diagnostic pathways, and management may differ substantially. Objective: To characterize the frequency, etiological distribution, clinical profile, treatment patterns, and short-term outcomes of working MINOCA compared with obstructive myocardial infarction among young adults aged 18–45 years. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional framework was applied to a dataset of 290 acute myocardial infarction observations classified according to coronary angiographic findings. Working MINOCA was defined by the absence of ≥50% stenosis in any major epicardial coronary artery. Demographic, cardiovascular, psychosocial, clinical, treatment, and in-hospital outcome variables were compared between groups. Binary logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with working MINOCA classification. Results: Working MINOCA accounted for 43 of 290 observations (14.8%). Female sex was more frequent in the MINOCA group than in the obstructive myocardial infarction group (44.2% vs. 21.5%, p=0.001). MINOCA was also characterized by lower body mass index, less current smoking, less frequent ST-segment elevation, lower peak troponin I, and higher perceived-stress scores. Plaque disruption and coronary vasospasm were the most frequent assigned mechanisms. Female sex was associated with working MINOCA classification in multivariable analysis (adjusted OR 2.94; 95% CI 1.46–5.92; p=0.003). Conclusion: Working MINOCA represented a clinically distinct subgroup within the analytical dataset. Mechanism-oriented classification and broader clinical profiling may improve the structured evaluation of young adults presenting with myocardial infarction and non-obstructive coronary arteries
References
1. Krittanawong C, Khawaja M, Tamis-Holland JE, Girotra S, Rao SV. Acute myocardial infarction: etiologies and mimickers in young patients. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(18):e029971. doi:10.1161/JAHA.123.029971.
2. Yildiz M, Ashokprabhu N, Shewale A, Pico M, Henry TD, Quesada O. Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022;9:1032436. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.1032436.
3. Reynolds HR, Smilowitz NR. Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries. Annu Rev Med. 2023;74:171-188. doi:10.1146/annurev-med-042921-111727.
4. Tognola C, Maloberti A, Varrenti M, Mazzone P, Giannattasio C, Guarracini F. Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): current insights into pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. Diagnostics (Basel). 2025;15(7):942. doi:10.3390/diagnostics15070942.
5. Hokimoto S, Kaikita K, Yasuda S, Tsujita K, Ishihara M, Matoba T, et al. JCS/CVIT/JCC 2023 guideline focused update on diagnosis and treatment of vasospastic angina (coronary spastic angina) and coronary microvascular dysfunction. Circ J. 2023;87(6):879-936. doi:10.1253/circj.CJ-22-0779.
6. Borzillo I, De Filippo O, Manai R, Bruno F, Ravetti E, Galanti AA, et al. Role of intracoronary imaging in myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary disease (MINOCA): a review. J Clin Med. 2023;12(6):2129. doi:10.3390/jcm12062129.
7. Iftikhar F, Tauqeer S, Farhat S, Orakzai M, Naz R, Rehman A. Common risk factors involved in the development of myocardial infarction in adults younger than 45 years of age. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2022;34(Suppl 1)(4):S995-S999. doi:10.55519/JAMC-04-S4-10236.
8. Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, Chaitman BR, Bax JJ, Morrow DA, et al. Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (2018). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72(18):2231-2264. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.1038.
9. Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983;24(4):385-396.
10. Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092-1097. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.
11. Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606-613. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.
12. Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjöström M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, et al. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;35(8):1381-1395. doi:10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB.
13. Shah T, Kapadia S, Lansky AJ, Grines CL. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: sex differences in incidence, etiology, treatment, and outcomes. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2022;24(5):529-540. doi:10.1007/s11886-022-01676-7.
14. Dell’Aversana F, Tedeschi C, Comune R, Gallo L, Ferrandino G, Basco E, et al. Advanced cardiac imaging and women’s chest pain: a question of gender. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023;13(15):2611. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13152611.
15. Abramik J, Mariathas M, Felekos I. Coronary microvascular dysfunction and vasospastic angina—pathophysiology, diagnosis and management strategies. J Clin Med. 2025;14(4):1128. doi:10.3390/jcm14041128.
16. Seitz A, Martínez Pereyra V, Sechtem U, Ong P. Update on coronary artery spasm 2022—a narrative review. Int J Cardiol. 2022;359:1-6. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2022.04.011.
17. Sucato V, Comparato F, Ortello A, Galassi AR. Myocardical infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. Curr Probl Cardiol. 2024;49(7):102583. doi:10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102583.
18. Severino P, D’Amato A, Prosperi S, Myftari V, Colombo L, Tomarelli E, et al. Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): focus on coronary microvascular dysfunction and genetic susceptibility. J Clin Med. 2023;12(10):3586. doi:10.3390/jcm12103586.
19. Yang P, Zhang S, Yin X, Zhang Y, Zhu H, Cao Y, et al. Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): a narrative review. Eur J Med Res. 2025;30(1):443. doi:10.1186/s40001-025-02703-3.
20. Xu X, Wang JJ, Zhao H, Miao K, Cui G, Zhang Y, et al. Variant angina is associated with myocarditis. J Inflamm Res. 2022;15:4939-4949. doi:10.2147/JIR.S378152.
21. Ko H, Kim T, Lee HD, Byun JH, Choo KS. Coronary artery spasm due to acute myocarditis in an adolescent: a case report. BMC Pediatr. 2022;22(1):304. doi:10.1186/s12887-022-03354-7.
22. Hou L, Zhao J, He T, Luo Y, Su K, Li Y, et al. Recurrent coronary vasospasm in a 50-year-old woman with granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report. J Inflamm Res. 2024;17:5285-5291. doi:10.2147/JIR.S472889.
23. Allen C, Poyorena C, Querin LB. ST-elevation myocardial infarction due to coronary vasospasm associated with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2024;8(3):250-253. doi:10.5811/cpcem.19412.
24. Pasupathy S, Lindahl B, Litwin P, Tavella R, Williams MJA, Air T, et al. Survival in patients with suspected myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis from the MINOCA Global Collaboration. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2021;14(11):e007880. doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.121.007880.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Syed Ali Akbar Rizvi, Saadat Hussain Khan, Tehzeeb Zahra, Samina Badar, Khadeja Yousaf, Muhammad Asif, Ume Habiba, Qasim Zia (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.