HEART DISEASES IN WOMEN
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
in Women: Current Guidelines
- A five-step approach
- Assess and stratify women into high risk, at risk,
and optimal risk categories - Lifestyle approaches recommended for all women
- Other cardiovascular disease interventions:
treatment of HTN, DM, lipid abnormalities - Highest priority is for interventions in high risk patients
- Avoid initiating therapies that have been shown
to lack benefit, or where risks outweigh benefits - High Risk
- Diabetes mellitus
- Documented atherosclerotic disease
- Established coronary heart disease
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Includes many patients with chronic kidney disease, especially
ESRD 10-year Framingham global risk > 20%, or high risk based
on another population-adapted global risk assessment tool - At Risk:
- > 1 major risk factors for CVD, including:
- Cigarette smoking
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidemia
- Family history of premature CVD (CVD at < 55 years
in a male relative, or < 65 years in a female relative) - Obesity, especially central obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Poor diet
- Metabolic syndrome
- Evidence of subclinical coronary artery disease (eg coronary calcification), or poor exercise capacity on treadmill test
or abnormal heart rate recovery after stopping exercise - Conclusions
- Gender differences exist in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of CHD
- Knowledge of gender differences is essential
for appropriate therapy - Evidence-based guidelines provide a framework for prevention and treatment
of cardiovascular disease in women
- Assess and stratify women into high risk, at risk,