Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the difference between perceived and calculated diabetes risks among post-myocardial infarction (AMI) patients using the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC). METHODS: The study population includes individuals from the Myocardial Infarction Registry in Augsburg, Germany, who had not been previously diagnosed with diabetes and who received a postal follow-up questionnaire after hospital discharge. A total of 466 participants completed the questionnaire, which collected information on age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, physical activity, eating habits, use of antihypertensive medication, previous hyperglycemia, and family history of diabetes. These factors are components of the FINDRISC score, which estimates the likelihood of developing diabetes within the next 10 years. Furthermore, the participants were asked, how they would rate their personal risk to develop diabetes. The analysis focused on determining how many post-AMI patients correctly estimated their diabetes risk compared to the risk calculated by the FINDRISC score. Furthermore, multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze determinants associated with risk underestimation. RESULTS: Results showed that a significant proportion of the AMI population (58%) underestimated their diabetes risk. This underestimation was significantly associated with older age, higher BMI, greater waist circumference, elevated blood glucose levels, use of antihypertensive medication and a family history of diabetes. Higher education contributed to more accurate risk perception. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the understanding of diabetes risk perception in AMI patients and highlights the need for improving diabetes risk awareness through targeted education and healthcare communication interventions. These efforts can help patients understand their health risks, which improves health outcomes and preventive care.