1081 patients treated with myocardial infarction between 1990-1995 were investigated retrospectively, 652 (60.3%) of the patients were male and 429 (39.7%) were female. 154 (14.2%) patients had an early, while 927 (85.5%) patients had late myocardial infarction. Of the patients with early myocardial infarction 52.3% were smokers, 45.2% had positive family history for ischaemic heart disease or acute myocardial infarction. The lipid parameters were analysed in detail, because 83.3% of the patients were hyperlipoproteinaemic. The mean cholesterol level was 6.91 +/- 1.2 mmol/l, the HDL-C level was 1.19 +/- 0.38 mmol/l, the triglyceride level was 2.66 +/- 1.8 mmol/l, the LDL-C level was 4.71 +/- 1.2 mmol/l. The serum LDL-C and the HDL-C levels of the patients with early myocardial infarction were compared to the desirable levels suggested for secondary prevention. Only 7.2% of the male patients had a cholesterol level below 5.2 mmol/l, while all female patients cholesterol levels were above 5.2 mmol/l. Of the male patients 53.6%, while 78.6% of females had lower triglyceride levels than 2.3 mmol/l 78,6% of the male patients had higher protective HDL-C level in the optimal range (> 1.1 mmol/l). 12.5 percent of the male patients had an LDL-C level lower than the value targeted by secondary prevention (3.0 mmol/l), while all of the female patients LDL-C levels were higher. The authors emphasize the importance of secondary prevention and a more widespread use of lipid lowering treatment for patients after acute myocardial infarction.