Certain gender differences can impact the diagnosis and prognosis of CAD in women:
- Clinical risk factors and chest pain symptoms have different predictive values in women compared with men.10
- Women present with CHD approximately 10 years later than men,5 and increased age and functional impairment can impact exercise capacity for stress testing.7
- The accuracy of exercise ECG in women is highly variable and can be influenced by several factors, including exercise capacity, hormonal status and smaller blood vessels.5,7,9
Given these gender differences, efforts should be undertaken to more accurately define cardiac risk in women. Such efforts may include a number of cardiac testing modalities. See the Diagnosis and Prognosis section of this Web site for a discussion of various testing procedures as well as an algorithm for noninvasive cardiac testing in women.
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Diabetes
Obesity
Metabolic Syndrome
Race/Ethnicity
Defining Risk in Women
Exercise Capacity in Women
C-Reactive Protein
Atrial Fibrillation
Heart Failure
Fat Distribution and Heart Disease in Women
Fitness Levels
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Aging
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