An article from the e-journal of the ESC Council for Cardiology PracticeVol. 12, N° 22 - 21 May 2014 Show
A woman complaining of chest pains might have a compromised anamnestic record, systolic arterial hypertension, abdominal obesity, diabetes, lipid metabolism disturbances, a habit of smoking, psychosocial factors, plaque erosion and atherosclerosis pathogenetic mechanisms as risk
factors. Topic(s): Coronary Artery Disease (Chronic) BackgroundWhile women appear to be at lower risk for coronary artery disease the search for "coronary artery disease in women" in the pubmed database revealed 50 publications in 1980, 500 in 1995 and nearly 1000
in 2013. Many of these publications have shown that the process is delayed by 10 years, rather than avoided. Initiatives such as Women at Heart aimed at increasing awareness that cardiovascular disease is the cause of death in 55% of women compared to 43% of men. 1 - Risk factorsDuring post-menopausal years traditional risk factors in woman tend to become very present and increase a woman's
risk for coronary artery disease.
Female centered findings:
B) Other risk factors
Female centered findings:
2 - TestingCoronary artery disease diagnostics in women are challenging because a typical course will be to show "atypical" pain syndrome and intact coronary arteries
(15).
Female centered findings:
3 - TreatmentThe same non-pharmacological, and pharmacological interventions are used in the treatment of both women and men with CAD.
Regarding endovascular and surgical treatment of CAD, intervention in women has some distinct features:
Female-centered findings:
Regarding secondary prevention of CAD:
ConclusionsGender differences in the structure of organs, physiological reactions, and hormonal background determine certain peculiarities in clinical manifestations, course of the disease in women and men. As in men, symptoms specific to CAD in women need prompt recognition for determination of risk groups and development of preventive measures. The full range of diagnostic measures should be put in place for women taking into account the low sensitivity and specificity of non-invasive
methods, according to the latest guidelines on management of coronary artery disease. References
2013 ESH/ESC Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Mancia G et al. J Hypertens. 2013 Jul;31(7):1281-357 VolumeNumber: Vol12 N22 Notes to editorEugenia Trisvetova Other ressources Four 2012 ESC conference presentations
on heart disease in women The content of this article reflects the personal opinion of the author/s and is not necessarily the official position of the European Society of Cardiology. What are the three main risk factors for coronary artery disease?Several health conditions, your lifestyle, and your age and family history can increase your risk for heart disease. These are called risk factors. About half of all Americans (47%) have at least 1 of 3 key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking.
What increases risk of coronary artery disease?The traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease are high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, being post-menopausal for women and being older than 45 for men, according to Fisher. Obesity may also be a risk factor.
What are the three 3 main causes of coronary atherosclerosis?Besides high cholesterol, damage to the coronary arteries may be caused by: Diabetes or insulin resistance. High blood pressure. Not getting enough exercise (sedentary lifestyle)
What is the most important risk factor of coronary artery disease?The major risk factors. There are many risk factors for CAD and some can be controlled but not others. The risk factors that can be controlled (modifiable) are: High BP; high blood cholesterol levels; smoking; diabetes; overweight or obesity; lack of physical activity; unhealthy diet and stress.
|