Risk Factors For CHD

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death and a significant cause of morbidity among North American women.1 Because CHD typically develops one to two decades later in females than in males, the importance of cardiovascular disease in this group has been overlooked. Studies of CHD treatment have shown a bias against the treatment of women with CHD. A recent survey by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention National Ambulatory Medical Care showed that, during routine office visits, women were counseled less often than men about exercise, nutrition and weight reduction.2 In the multi-center Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), which enrolled post-menopausal females with documented CHD, only 10% of women had a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level below an appropriate target at baseline.3 Women with angina or myocardial infarction (MI) often present with atypical symptoms. The recognition and management of CHD in women Preventive Cardiology For Women