Managing women with coronary artery disease

Abstract

Coronary artery disease is the greatest cause of death and disability in women. Women often have atypical chest pain which should be thoroughly evaluated. Women benefit as much as men from coronary care, thrombolysis, coronary artery bypass grafts and coronary angioplasty but are more likely to have advanced disease, and be hypertensive, diabetic and older at presentation- and thereby have increased complications and mortality. All clinical trial data published so far does not identify HRT therapy as a means of preventing or treating CAD. Since women are older at presentation they are vulnerable to age bias, which may therefore appear to be gender bias.