Clinical and Angiographic Predictors of Prolong Hospital Stay in Young vs Older Myocardical Infarction Patients

Background and Objectives: Although acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is traditionally regarded as a disease of older age, its rising incidence in younger patients challenges age-based assumptions regarding in-hospital management and prognosis. Length of hospital stay is a critical marker of disease complexity and healthcare burden, yet its determinants across age groups remain insufficiently characterized. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 200 consecutive patients admitted with ST-segment eleva-tion myocardial infarction (STEMI), stratified by age (< 45 vs. >45 years). Clinical, bio-logical, echocardiographic, and angiographic parameters were assessed. Prolonged hospitalization was defined as a hospital stay exceeding 7 days. Independent predictors were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Despite marked differences in risk profiles and coronary anatomy between age groups, chronological age was not an independent determinant of hospitalization duration. Di-abetes mellitus and left anterior descending artery involvement were independently associated with prolonged hospital stay, whereas percutaneous coronary intervention significantly reduced hospitalization duration. Conclusions: In STEMI, hospitalization burden is shaped by comorbidity burden and revascularization strategy rather than age itself. These findings challenge age-centered clinical paradigms and support an individualized, mechanism-driven approach to in-hospital management aimed at reducing hospitalization duration and resource utilization.