Coronary artery disease in women

• Published in: Australian prescriber Vol. 45; no. 6; pp. 193 - 199
• Main Authors: Montarello, Natalie, Chan, Wai Ping Alicia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Therapeutic Guidelines Limited 01.12.2022; NPS MedicineWise
• Subjects: Age; Algorithms; Angina pectoris; Atherosclerosis; Birth control; Cardiovascular disease; Cholesterol; Coronary vessels; Gender differences; Heart attacks; Hormone replacement therapy; Hypertension; Ischemia; Lipoproteins; Medical imaging; Metabolism; Obesity; Pain; Pregnancy; Radiation therapy; Risk assessment; Risk factors; Sexes; Vein & artery diseases; Womens health; Australia; cardiovascular disease; myocardial infarction with non-obstructed coronary arteries; cardiovascular risk; menopause
• ISSN: 0312-8008; 1839-3942
• DOI: 10.18773/austprescr.2022.065

Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death in women but remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Health professionals play an important role in improving the heart health of Australian women. Routine heart health checks should be offered to all women 45 years of age and older and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women 30 years of age and older. Cardiovascular risk assessment in women must include traditional and sex-specific risk factors, including their pregnancy history and early-onset menopause. Women with pregnancy-related hypertensive and metabolic disorders have an increased long-term cardiovascular risk and require close monitoring. Women with acute coronary syndrome may not experience classical chest pain. More often, they experience cardiovascular events in the absence of obstructive coronary disease and have poorer cardiovascular outcomes. The recognition of sex-specific differences and more sex-specific trials are key to improving clinical outcomes.