摘要:Coronary heart disease is one of the most common diseases causing mortality and morbidity in industrialized and developing countries. The first presentation in 25% of cases is sudden cardiac death. The most common risk factors in dead people are hypercholesterolemia. This study was carried out to compare the prevalence of risk factors in patients hospitalized in CCUs and cardiology departments (case group) and people who died because of sudden death myocardial infarction before arriving at hospitals (control group). This study was a case-control one, carried out on 154 patients and 112 dead persons. The questionnaires were completed after referring to their first relatives and the documents, in control group and in case group, were completed from patients and their records in hospitals. Then history of risk factor was compared. The ratio of men/women in the first group (hospitalized patients) was 3 and the second group (dead patients) was 1.7 (P=0.000). The peak ages in men of both groups were 60 to 69 years old, 2-3 times more than women in both groups. The most prevalent risk factor in women of both groups was hypertension, the same as in men of the control group. But the most prevalent risk factor in men of the case group was smoking (P=0.000). So, primary prevention, which has a great role in controlling coronary artery disease, is suggested.