Rashid Bashir, Ashur Khan, Muhammad Yousuf.
Risk factor profile and Extent of Coronary Artery Disease in Women presenting with Chest Pain
Pak Armed Forces Med J Jun 1999;49(1):29-31.
Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi
Risk factor prevalence, stress test, angiographic results and treatment advised were studied in 163 women who underwent coronary angiography for chest pain from July 1994 to December 1995. A number of 105 (64.4%) women were found to have significant coronary artery disease (Group-I) while 58 (35.6%1 had normal vessels (Group-11). The mean age was 53 years in Group I (range 32-75) and 46 years (range 25-65) in Group II (p =< 0.001), with 69% postmenopausal women in Group I and 39% in Group II (P =< 0.001). There were significantly more hypertensives in Group I than in Group II ( P =< 0.001), while other risk factors were not significantly different in the two groups although the overall prevalence was high. In group I, 51 % women had prior myocardial infarction. Exercise tolerance test was not done in 58% of Group I and 38% of Group II women. Stress test was positive in 38% of Group I and 29% of Group 11. Of the 105 women in Group I , 42 were found to have one-vessel, 31 had two-vessel and 32 had three-vessel coronary artery disease. Maximum women having one-vessel disease were advised medical treatment while most of the women with three-vessel disease were advised bypass graft surgery. It is concluded that women with coronary artery disease are generally older and postmenopausal with a high level of risk factors, especially hypertension. Stress testing can be useful in women as it is in men and there should be no sex bias when assessing women for coronary artery disease.
Category: Cardiology
Keywords: Angiography. Coronary Arteries. Postmenopause. Hypertension.
Click here for Full Text Article
This article has been viewed 590 times
Download in Citation Manager - Print - Email - PakMediNet Member Services Submit your Research Synopsis for Free Expert analysis - Search- Feedback - Drug Index
Post and View Comments on this Article
