The Missing STEMIs and Lifestyle Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Bilgin Dogan, Nazile; Ozel, Erdem

ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) cases are down during the pandemic. This study examined the effects of new lifestyle behaviors on cardiovascular risk factors during the pandemic. An online, self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was filled by 1964 persons from different regions of Turkey, England, France, and Germany. As the main findings in the survey, participants had less daily stress levels (P = .019), ate more healthy foods (P < .001), and increased their exercise duration (P < .001). There were more physically active people (P < .001), and inactive participants before the pandemic become active during the pandemic (P < .001). The age group with longest exercise duration was those aged 60 to 69 years who are a high-risk group in terms of cardiovascular diseases. The positive lifestyle changes people made to be healthier during the pandemic may have constituted an important reason for the decrease in STEMI cases admitted to the emergency department in this period.