Interní Med. 2011; 13(6): 241-243

Risk factors for atherosclerosis in women

MUDr.Jan Piťha, CSc.

Laboratoř pro výzkum aterosklerózy, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha

Atherosclerosis manifests quite often (50 % of men and 60 % of women) as sudden cardiac death in persons with no previous signs of

coronary disease. Based on current knowledge, much of atherosclerotic vascular events might be avoided. Therefore, high-risk individuals

are to be indentified and treated. Currently recommended diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are, however, mostly based

on the results of studies on the male population. However, in the general population, in women the prevalence and mortality of/from

cardiovascular diseases and mainly strokes is in absolute numbers greater than in men. Smoking and diabetes mellitus and associated

combined dyslipidemia (high level of triglycerides and lower protective HDL cholesterol) appear to be more aggressive cardiovascular

risk factor in women. Unique cardiovascular risk factors in women are sex hormones and their changes; however, the use of synthetic

hormones in the prevention of cardiovascular events in women brought largely negative results. Other specific risk factors in women are:

preeclampsia, hypertension in pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus. Currently, in women greater emphasis should be placed on

smoking cessation, adequate physical activity and on optimizing the lipid spectrum, including triglycerides and HDL cholesterol.

Keywords: women, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, risk factors, sex hormones

Published: June 20, 2011  Show citation