Did you know….? Coronary Heart Disease

Did you know....?

? Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is responsible for 7.6 million deaths globally

? CHD is the leading cause of death worldwide

? CHD is the leading cause of death for women in most industrialized nations

? Symptoms present themselves differently in men and women, leading to difficulty in diagnosing CHD in women

? Some risk factors are more significant in women than in men

? Women may respond differently to treatments

What is CHD?

CHD is a cardiovascular disease associated with the heart and its vessels. It is commonly associated with plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, a condition which can prevent oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart.

References

Arora, R. & Rohit S.L. (2008). Review: Prevention of coronary heart disease in women. Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease, 2, 321-327.

Castanho, V.S., Faria, E.C., Oliveira, H.C.F, Oliveira, L.S., & Pinheiro, H.P. (2001). Sex differences in risk factors for coronary heart disease: a study in a Brazilian population. BMC, 1,

Chen, Y.F., Hage, F., Nozell, S., Oparil, S. & Xing, D. (2009). Estrogen and mechanisms of vascular protection. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 29, 289-295.

Cleveland Clinic (2008). Estrogen and Heart Disease. Retrieved on March 23, 2009 from px

Molstad, Per (2009). Coronary heart disease in women: Less extensive disease and

improved long-term survival compared to men. Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal, 43, 10-16.

Wenger, A.N. (2002). Clinical characteristics of coronary heart disease in women: emphasis on gender differences. Cardiovascular Research, 53, 558-567.

World Health Organization (2007). Cardiovascular diseases. Retrieved on March 22, 2009 from dex.html

Coronary Heart Disease in Women

An Informational Brochure for Women

Tricia Chesson and Jennifer Ford

Risk Factors

The main risk factors for CHD include: Unhealthy diet ? High blood pressure High blood cholesterol ? Physical inactivity ? Obesity ? Diabetes ? Age Heredity ? Smoking

Certain risk factors are more significant for women than men. These include diabetes. For example, diabetic women with a previous history of heart attack (myocardial infarction) are twice as likely to have another heart attack and four times as likely to develop heart failure.

Hormone therapy may increase women's risk for CHD. Estrogen protects women from CHD before menopause, but after menopause the female body loses the ability to process estrogen. This converts estrogen's normally protective effects to harmful effects.

Because of the difference in symptoms, women

are more likely to be misdiagnosed.

Change in Age-Adjusted Death Reates for CHD by Country, for women ages 35-74, 1990-1999

Image from: NHLBI Conditions and Diseases Index h ttp : //w w w.n h lb i.n ih.g o v /health /dci/D i seases/Cad /C A D _ All.html

Symptoms

Classic CHD Symptoms:

? Chest pain (angina) ? Shortness of breath ? Tightness, heaviness, pressure behind

the breast bone

Women are less likely to experience angina, and angina is a less effective predictor of CHD or MI. Women are more likely to have:

? Dyspnea (difficulty breathing) ? Fatigue ? Abdominal, neck and shoulder pain

Source: NHLBI 2002 Chart Book on Cardiovascular, Lung, and Blood Diseases

Treatment/Prevention

Men are, in general, more aggressively treated for CHD than are women. Women are less likely to be treated with aspirin or betablockers. However, while aspirin therapy is effective in women, aspirin resistance is 4 times more likely in women than in men. The simplest treatment for CHD is prevention. By avoiding risk factors such as smoking, not exercising, and eating an unhealthy diet, the risk for CHD can be greatly reduced.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download