Between 1977 and 1990, 64 premenopausal women, under 50 years of age (42 +/- 5.6 years), were admitted for typical acute myocardial infarction with pathological Q waves. Twenty one patients had attempted myocardial revascularisation either by intravenous thrombolysis or primary angioplasty (n = 3). All patients underwent coronary angiography with selective left ventriculography during their hospital admission. This group of 64 women was characterised by the association of coronary risk factors (2.8 per patient): smoking (89%), hyperlipidaemia (67%), diabetes (45%) and oral contraception (35%). Coronary angiography showed single vessel occlusion in 86% of patients receiving oral contraception, multiple vessel disease in 36.5% and single or double vessel disease in 31.7% of the other patients. There were 3 deaths during the hospital period (4.6%), 12 cases of left ventricular failure, 2 ventricular aneurysms, 2 operated ischaemic mitral regurgitations and 9 recurrences of pain treated by angioplasty. During follow-up (36.5 +/- 4 months), 22 patients were readmitted to hospital and there were 3 further deaths, 12 cases of persistent cardiac failure, 10 cases of latent ventricular dysfunction and 9 ischaemic reoccurrences treated by angioplasty or surgery. The results in this group of patients suffering from myocardial infarction at an unusually early age for women showed that although the mortality was similar to that observed in men of the same age (9%) there was a very high morbidity and a high risk of cardiac failure. The prognosis of myocardial infarction in women, though better than 10 years ago, should improve with immediate revascularisation, the correction of cardiovascular risk factors and the rapid application of all techniques of modern cardiology.