Primary Prevention In Women Research Articles

1446-P: Gender Inequalities in Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Primary Prevention Adults Living with Type 1 Diabetes in Germany and France—Findings from DPV and SFDT1

Introduction & Objectives: To evaluate whether medical care for and level of cardiovascular risk factors differ in primary prevention between adult men and women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in two European countries in 2020-2022. Methods: We included 2657 participants from the DPV registry (Germany, mean age 40±15, diabetes duration 23±14 years; 50.9% men) and 1172 from the SFDT1 study (France, age 39±14, diabetes duration 22±13 years; 53.2% men). Results: HbA1c levels and body mass indexes were similar in women and men with similar proportions of HbA1c<7% (DPV: 36.6 vs. 33.0%, respectively; SFDT1: 22.8 vs. 24.9%; both n.s.). Women had less overweight in DPV (55.4 vs. 61.0%, p<0.05) but not in SFDT1 (48.0 vs. 44.9%, n.s.) and were less prone to smoke (DPV: 19.7 vs. 25.8%, p<0.05; SFDT1: 21.0 vs. 26.0%, n.s.). Systolic blood pressure was lower in women than men (DPV: 124±15 vs. 129±15; SFDT1: 121±16 vs. 126±14mmHg, both p<0.05) with similar rates of antihypertensive therapy in case of systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90mmHg (DPV: 70.5 vs. 63.6%; SFDT1: 73.3 vs. 68.6%, both n.s.). In case of microalbuminuria, ACEi-ARB were less prescribed in women than men in DPV (21.4 vs 37.6%, p<0.05) but not SFDT1 (70.6 vs 62.0%, n.s.). In women compared to men, HDL-cholesterol levels were higher; triglycerides lower and LDL-cholesterol similar in DPV and SFDT1. In those with LDL-cholesterol >130 mg/dL (DPV: 19.9 vs. 23.9%; SFDT1 17.0 vs. 19.2%, both n.s.), statin therapy was less prescribed in women than men in DPV (7.9 vs. 17.0%, p<0.05), SFDT1 (18.2 vs. 21.0%, n.s.). Conclusion: Women in primary prevention have a better cardiovascular risk profile than men in both studies. We observed a high rate of therapeutic inertia, which might be higher in women for statin and nephroprotection with ACEi-ARB especially in Germany. Disclosure E. Cosson: Advisory Panel; Abbott, AstraZeneca, Lilly Diabetes, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Roche Diagnostics, Novartis AG, Amgen Inc. M. Auzanneau: Other Relationship; Insulet Corporation. G.A. Aguayo: None. W. Karges: None. J. Riveline: Board Member; Abbott, Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi, Eli Lilly and Company, Medtronic, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Air Liquide, AstraZeneca. P. Augstein: None. L. Sablone: None. P.M. Jehle: None. G. Fagherazzi: Speaker's Bureau; Sanofi. Advisory Panel; Timkl, SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc., Vitalaire, Roche Diabetes Care. R.W. Holl: None.

Impact of the human papillomavirus vaccine in low-resource settings

Impact of the human papillomavirus vaccine in low-resource settings

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in women.

Aspirin use for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is controversial. Low-dose aspirin may be considered for primary prevention in women on an individualized basis for those aged 40 to 59 years with a 10-year cardiovascular risk of 10% or more and without increased bleeding risk. Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention is not advised for low-risk women or women aged 60 years or older.

Interventions to Mitigate Risk of Cardiovascular Disease After Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

ImportanceA growing body of evidence suggests that adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes (GD), preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction, are associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. Adverse pregnancy outcomes may therefore represent an opportunity to intervene to prevent or delay onset of CVD. The objective of this review was to summarize the current evidence for targeted postpartum interventions and strategies to reduce CVD risk in women with a history of APOs.ObservationsA search of PubMed and Ovid for English-language randomized clinical trials, cohort studies, descriptive studies, and guidelines published from January 1, 2000, to April 30, 2021, was performed. Four broad categories of interventions were identified: transitional clinics, lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy, and patient and clinician education. Observational studies suggest that postpartum transitional clinics identify women who are at elevated risk for CVD and may aid in the transition to longitudinal primary care. Lifestyle interventions to increase physical activity and improve diet quality may help reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in women with prior GD; less is known about women with other prior APOs. Metformin hydrochloride may prevent development of type 2 diabetes in women with prior GD. Evidence is lacking in regard to specific pharmacotherapies after other APOs. Cardiovascular guidelines endorse using a history of APOs to refine CVD risk assessment and guide statin prescription for primary prevention in women with intermediate calculated 10-year CVD risk. Research suggests a low level of awareness of the link between APOs and CVD among both patients and clinicians.Conclusions and RelevanceThese findings suggest that transitional clinics, lifestyle intervention, targeted pharmacotherapy, and clinician and patient education represent promising strategies for improving postpartum maternal cardiometabolic health in women with APOs; further research is needed to develop and rigorously evaluate these interventions. Future efforts should focus on strategies to increase maternal postpartum follow-up, improve accessibility to interventions across diverse racial and cultural groups, expand awareness of sex-specific CVD risk factors, and define evidence-based precision prevention strategies for this high-risk population.

Current Landscape of Targeted Therapy in Hormone Receptor-Positive and HER2-Negative Breast Cancer.

Background: Hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer (HR + BC) is the most prevalent breast cancer. Endocrine therapy is the mainstay of treatment, however, due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, resistance to endocrine therapy is not uncommon. Over the past decades, the emergence of novel targeted therapy in combination with endocrine therapy has shown improvement in outcomes of HR + BC. This paper reviews available data of targeted therapy and the results of pivotal clinical trials in the management of HR + BC. Methods: A literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar was performed using keywords related to HR + BC and targeted therapy. Major relevant studies that were presented in international cancer research conferences were also included. Results: Endocrine therapy with tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors are backbone treatments for women with early-stage HR + BC leading to a significant reduction in mortality. They can also be used for primary prevention in women with a high risk of breast cancer. Preliminary data has shown the efficacy of adjuvant cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor, abemaciclib, in high-risk disease in combination with aromatase inhibitors. For most women with advanced HR + BC, endocrine therapy is the primary treatment. Recent evidence has shown that the use of CKD 4/6 inhibitors, mTOR inhibitors, and PI3K inhibitors in combination with endocrine therapy has been associated with better outcomes and delays initiation of chemotherapy. Several novel agents are under study for HR + BC. Discussion: Targeted treatment options for HR + BC have evolved. The future of overcoming resistance to targeted therapy, novel compounds, and predictive markers are key to improving HR + BC outcomes.

Inferior control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women is the primary sex difference in modifiable cardiovascular risk: A large-scale, cross-sectional study in primary care

Background and aimsSex differences in cardiovascular prevention have been reported, yet the role of sex with regard to different modifiable risk factors such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (BP), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in primary care settings is unclear. Therefore, we studied sex differences in assessment and measured values of LDL-C, BP, and HbA1c in primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention delivered by general practitioners. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was based on electronic medical records of 59,092 primary care patients (51.9% women) aged 40–79 years in Switzerland. Multilevel regression was used to model associations of sex with assessment and measured values of LDL-C, BP, and HbA1c in 2018. ResultsIn both primary and secondary prevention, women had lower LDL-C assessment rates (age-adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.71 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67 to 0.75] and 0.70 [CI 0.51 to 0.95]), and higher measured LDL-C values than men (age-adjusted difference 0.30 mmol/L [CI 0.25 to 0.35] and 0.28 mmol/L [CI 0.07 to 0.48]). Compared with men, women in primary prevention displayed lower BP and HbA1c assessment frequencies (aOR 0.77 [CI 0.73 to 0.81] and 0.76 [CI 0.71 to 0.80]) and measured values (age-adjusted difference -2.49 mmHg [CI -2.99 to -1.79] and -0.19% [CI -0.24 to -0.14]), while there was no sex difference in secondary prevention. Age-dependent increases in measured values of LDL-C, BP, and HbA1c were greater in women than men. ConclusionsControl of LDL-C in women in primary care should be improved to reduce sex-based inequalities in prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Costs and effects of cardiovascular risk reclassification using the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in addition to the Framingham risk scoring in women

Background and aimsAnkle brachial index (ABI) is a simple and cheap parameter to assess the presence of atherosclerosis. It could also help correctly reclassify the cardiovascular risk when added to the Framingham risk score (FRS). Recent evidence has demonstrated improvement in prediction performance of ABI when added to FRS, particularly in women. However, no studies have been published yet evaluating the cost-effectiveness of this approach. This study attempts to fill in this gap by assessing the cost-effectiveness of ABI measurements in primary prevention in women. MethodsWe developed a Markov model to compare two different strategies for assessing the cardiovascular risk (low, intermediate and high) among women in the general population: 1) FRS strategy, and 2) FRS + ABI strategy; and the relative impact associated with interventions for preventing CV events in intermediate and high-risk categories. ResultsIn the base-case analysis, FRS + ABI reported an additional cost of € 110 and a gain of 0.0039 QALYs per patient, resulting in an ICER of € 27.986/QALY, when compared to FRS alone. The ICER improved to €1.641/QALY when using a lifetime horizon. The effectiveness of preventive CV disease interventions reported also a significant impact. A 32% reduction of CV events was the minimum value estimated to maintain FRS + ABI as a cost-effective strategy. ConclusionsThe addition of ABI to FRS is a cost-effective approach in women classified at low and intermediate risk with FRS only. This new approach gives the possibility to reclassify and allocate them into the appropriate risk group and treatment.

Community-based, population-focused preterm birth prevention programs - a review.

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Being born too early contributes to approximately 70% of neonatal mortality and approximately half of long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities. Various PTB prevention programs have been described going back more than 30years, and some have described possible success in decreasing the rate of PTB. In addition, there are also PTB prenatal care clinics in many parts of the world, each with the singular goal of reducing the PTB rate in their region. Interventions can be directed at all women for primary prevention and reducing the risk of PTB or used to mitigate risk in women identified to be at increased risk. A Medline and ClinicalTrials.gov ( www.clinicaltrials.gov ) search was performed (1982-2018), using preterm birth prevention program as the primary medical subject heading, reporting randomized clinical trials, quasi-experimental trials, and analytic studies (including retrospective and prospective cohort studies). We also searched Google for preterm birth prevention programs and prenatal care clinics published on-line. Some prevention programs have reported success in lowering rates of PTB, principally using historical controls although the majority were not followed by improved outcomes. Increasing knowledge and the use of social media to enhance education should now enable greater effectiveness of new programs. Development of regional and national PTB prevention programs should now be considered.

The Role of Sex-Specific Risk Factors in the Risk Assessment of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease for Primary Prevention in Women.

Robust evidence is emerging regarding the contribution of sex-specific risk factors to a woman's unique risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This review summarizes the available literature regarding the association of sex-specific risk factors and ASCVD in women. The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Guidelines recommend estimation of 10-year risk of a first ASCVD event using the 2013 Pooled Cohort Equations. This can be further personalized by identifying sex-specific risk factors present in a woman's history. There are multiple vulnerable periods across a woman's life course that are associated with increased risk of ASCVD. Risk factors across the reproductive life course that have been shown to correlate with higher risk for future ASCVD include early menarche, adverse pregnancy outcomes (such as pre-eclampsia or preterm birth), and early natural or surgical menopause. In addition, certain conditions that are more common among women, including autoimmune diseases, history of chest irradiation, and certain chemotherapies, also need to be considered. Finally, risk assessment can be refined with subclinical disease imaging (coronary calcium score) if there remains uncertainty about clinical management with lipid-lowering therapies for primary prevention after inclusion of these risk enhancers. Risk assessment for ASCVD in women requires a personalized approach that incorporates sex-specific risk factors to guide primary prevention measures, such as lipid-lowering therapies. Coronary calcium score imaging may also help further refine risk assessment, but no clinical trials conducted to date have addressed this question.

Is There Still a Role for Aspirin in Primary Prevention in Women in 2020?

Aspirin's place in primary prevention for females has not been well delineated and has been under increased scrutiny in light of recent literature and guideline recommendations. The purpose of this review is to discuss current literature reviewing aspirin use for primary prevention in women and to discuss when use is appropriate. The Women's Health Study found no differences in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in women randomized to aspirin vs. placebo, though a significant reduction was observed in women ≥ 65years. More recent literature evaluated outcomes for primary prevention use in patients at increased cardiovascular risk, patients with diabetes, and patients who are elderly. These trials found either no benefit in MACE outcomes or a slight benefit accompanied by an increased risk of bleeding. Furthermore, no difference in outcomes were found in subgroup analyses comparing females receiving aspirin vs. placebo or comparing events in males vs. females. With improvements in risk factor reduction, such as blood pressure control, statin use, diabetes management, and smoking cessation, the role of aspirin for primary prevention in women is still uncertain. Aspirin use for primary prevention in females has failed to show a clear benefit except in women ≥ 65years old, with a potential increase in bleeding events. An effort to better study aspirin in female patients would allow for better identification of women who would or would not benefit from therapy.

Association between non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio and carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal middle-aged women

Background: A novel lipid relation, the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C/HDL-C) ratio gathers information on all atherogenic and antiatherogenic particles on a single date. The relationship between this lipid marker and the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) in postmenopausal women is unknown.Methods: Postmenopausal women in primary prevention up to 70 years of age were recruited. Association between the non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio and presence of CAP, assessed by ultrasonography, was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed.Results: A total of 440 females with a mean age of 58.1 ± 5.3 years were recruited. The mean non-HDL-C/HDL ratio was 3.1 ± 1.2 and 28.2% of woman had CAP. A positive relationship was seen between quintiles of the non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio and prevalence of CAP (p < 0.001). Regardless of other risk factors, women with higher non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratios had a greater chance of having CAP (odds ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval: 1.07–1.58, p = 0.009). In the ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve of the non-HDL-C/HDL ratio for detecting CAP was 0.703 (95% confidence interval: 0.640–0.765) and the optimal cut-off point was 3.0 (Youden index 0.395).Conclusion: The present study suggests that the non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio might be a strong marker for predicting the risk of CAP in postmenopausal women.

Cardiovascular health management: preventive assessment

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death among men and women, represents a significant women's health concern. While the majority of cardiovascular prevention guidelines are similar for men and women, there is growing appreciation that there may be sex differences in the magnitude of relative and absolute benefits and harms of preventive interventions. For instance, while aspirin is associated with a reduction in the risk of CVD events in both men and women, the specific types of benefit appear to differ by sex, with some evidence that aspirin therapy lowers myocardial infarction risk in men (but not women), and ischemic stroke risk in women (but not men). Sex-specific risk assessment may be particularly well established in a primary prevention setting Race, education, waist circumference,waist/hip ratio, typical angina, family history of CAD, high stress, lipids,fasting blood sugar, anemia, insulin, insulin resistance (Homeostasis Model Assessment,HOMA) are particularly important in women together wit peculiar risk facors related to pregnancy, early menopause, autoimmunal diseases and hypoestrogenism. Comparing to men the most predicting CV risk factors appear to be older age, hypertension, history of diabetes, history of smoking, higher triglycerides, and lower Glomerular filtration rate. Regardig Lipoprotein A in the Women's Health Initiative and the Juppiter trial cohorts of women Lp(a) was associated with CVD only among those with high levels of total cholesterol. Further, improvement in risk prediction was minimal in independent validation samples, suggesting that routine screening for Lp(a) may have limited utility in women in primary prevention. The carotid intima-media thickness(cIMT) is widely used to define vascular age. The cIMT tends to be thinner in women than in men, although the evidence to support this finding is controversial . Unfortunately it is only a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis, whereas CT derived coronary calcification as well as, also in our experience, breast artery calcifications, appear to be a valid index of early atheroscerosis. Finally C Reactive Protein appear to be an interesting marker in women in specific situation in our experience.

Is aspirin effective as primary prevention in women over 65 years old?

Is aspirin effective as primary prevention in women over 65 years old?

Abstract IA5: Aspirin for precision chemoprevention of colorectal cancer

Abstract Remarkably consistent experimental and epidemiologic evidence demonstrates that aspirin is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. These studies have been complemented by compelling data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Five placebo-controlled RCTs among individuals with a history of colorectal adenoma or cancer showed that aspirin reduced the risk of recurrent adenomas, the precursors of the vast majority of cancers. Data from long-term follow-up of the CAPP2 trial, a RCT of aspirin among individuals with the Lynch hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome and the Women's Health Study, a RCT of aspirin among women for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer demonstrated that randomized aspirin treatment was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Finally, secondary analyses of RCTs of aspirin for cardiovascular prevention have shown that aspirin reduces incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer. As a reflection of the strength of the evidence, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated its primary prevention guidelines for aspirin in 2016. The USPSTF now recommends low-dose aspirin (81 mg/day) for chronic disease prophylaxis, including colorectal cancer prevention, among U.S. adults between ages 50-59, and possibly ages 60-69, with a greater than 10% ten-year risk of cardiovascular events. The new USPSTF recommendation represents a significant milestone for the field of preventive medicine. With the exception of tamoxifen for women at high-risk for breast cancer, this is the first medication broadly recommended for cancer prevention by the USPSTF. Despite this advance, wider scale efforts to implement aspirin chemoprevention are limited by concerns about risk-benefit profile in view of the established association of aspirin with gastrointestinal bleeding. In concert with broader efforts to tailor prevention strategies, our group has led several studies into the mechanistic basis of aspirin's anti-cancer effect that has led to the development of intratumoral, colonic, germline, and circulating molecular correlates of outcomes. Such biomarkers can be exploited for risk stratification to more effectively target aspirin chemoprevention for those with more favorable risk-benefit profiles. In this presentation, we will review the evidence supporting a role for aspirin in the prevention of colorectal cancer, with a focus on novel methods for molecular risk stratification. Such a precision chemoprevention strategy could play a role in global efforts for chronic disease prevention and control. Citation Format: Andrew T. Chan. Aspirin for precision chemoprevention of colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference: New Frontiers in Cancer Research; 2017 Jan 18-22; Cape Town, South Africa. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(22 Suppl):Abstract nr IA5.

Early screening for Chlamydia trachomatis in young women for primary prevention of pelvic inflammatory disease (i-Predict): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundGenital infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection, especially among young women. Mostly asymptomatic, it can lead, if untreated, to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), tubal factor infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Recent data suggest that Ct infections are not controlled in France and in Europe. The effectiveness of a systematic strategy for Ct screening in under-25 women remains controversial. The main objective of the i-Predict trial (Prevention of Diseases Induced by Chlamydia trachomatis) is to determine whether early screening and treatment of 18- to-24-year-old women for genital Ct infection reduces the incidence of PID over 24 months.Methods/designThis is a randomised prevention trial including 4000 eighteen- to twenty-four-year-old sexually active female students enrolled at five universities. The participants will provide a self-collected vaginal swab sample and fill in an electronic questionnaire at baseline and at 6, 12 and 18 months after recruitment. Vaginal swabs in the intervention arm will be analysed immediately for Ct positivity, and participants will be referred for treatment if they have a positive test result. Vaginal swabs from the control arm will be analysed at the end of the study. All visits to general practitioners, gynaecologists or gynaecology emergency departments for pelvic pain or other gynaecological symptoms will be recorded to evaluate the incidence of PID, and all participants will attend a final visit in a hospital gynaecology department. The primary endpoint measure will be the incidence of PID over 24 months. The outcome status (confirmed, probable or no PID) will be assessed by two independent experts blinded to group assignment and Ct status.DiscussionThis trial is expected to largely contribute to the development of recommendations for Ct screening in young women in France to prevent PID and related complications. It is part of a comprehensive approach to gathering data to facilitate decision-making regarding optimal strategies for Ct infection control. The control group of this randomised trial, following current recommendations, will allow better documentation of the natural history of Ct infection, a prerequisite to evaluating the impact of Ct screening. Characterisation of host immunogenetics will also allow identification of women at risk for complications.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02904811. Registered on September 14, 2016.World Health Organisation International Clinical Trials Registry, NCT02904811.AOM, 15-0063 and P150950. Registered on September 26, 2016. A completed Standard Protocol Items : Recommendations for International Trials (SPIRIT) Checklist is available in additional file 1.

Sex Differences in Type-2 Diabetes: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk Management

Among individuals with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Sex and gender differences (SGDs) in the cardiovascular consequences of T2DM are relevant suggesting the need for a more aggressive CVD preventive strategy in diabetic women as they lose the so-called &amp;quot;female advantage&amp;quot; in terms of CVD risk comparing with the nondiabetic population. Multiple factors may explain the disproportion in CVD risk among women with diabetes comparing with diabetic men or non-diabetic women. Both genetic and hormonal factors only partially explain SGDs in CVD risk in diabetes. However, women likely reach diagnosis later and in worse conditions, they undergo both diagnostic and therapeutic supports in lower percentage and, finally, they are not able to obtain therapeutic goals recommended by guidelines. Concerning the cardiovascular system, diabetes amplifies the extent of damage at both micro- and macrovascular level differently among sexes. The aim of this review is to clarify, in a sex and gender perspective, the impact of diabetes in CVD risk and to summarize the most important SGDs in CVD primary and secondary prevention strategies such as antiplatelet drugs and statins. The efficacy of ASA and/or statins in secondary prevention is documented in both sexes independently by the presence of T2DM. A different approach to CVD primary prevention with ASA using the age cut-off to discriminate sex differences has been recommended. The use of statins for primary prevention in women should be accurately monitored for the occurrence of myalgia and risk of developing diabetes. A gender approach in CVD prevention strategies is urgently required to achieve a sensible reduction of adverse CV events.

Association between triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio and carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal middle-aged women

Abstract Background and objective The triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio, as a surrogate marker of insulin resistance, may be associated to presence of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to explore this association. Patients and methods Women (last menstrual period ≥ 2 years) in primary prevention up to 65 years of age were recruited. Association between the triglyceride/HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and presence of carotid plaque, assessed by ultrasonography, was analyzed. ROC analysis was performed, determining the precision of this ratio to detect carotid plaque. Results A total of 332 women (age 57 ± 5 years) were recruited. Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio was 2.35 ± 1.6. Prevalence of carotid plaque was 29%. Women with carotid plaque had higher triglyceride/HDL-C ratios (3.33 ± 1.96 vs. 2.1 ± 1.2, p p p Conclusions In postmenopausal women in primary prevention, insulin resistance, estimated from the triglyceride/HDL-C ratio, was independently associated to a greater probability of carotid plaque. A value of such ratio greater than 2 may be used for assessing cardiovascular risk in this particular group of women.

Gender and Cardiovascular Mortality in Northern and Southern European Populations.

There are no ready explanations for differences in ischemic heart disease incidence between women and men under an epidemiological perspective. However, when myocardial infarction occurs, there are more likely individuals who happen to die. This review from a more recent literature was performed for a two-fold purpose, to describe gender wise: a) the role of classical and novel factors defined to evaluate coronary artery disease (CAD) risk and mortality, aimed at assessing applicability and relevance for primary and secondary prevention; b) the differences in northern versus southern European Countries in risk factors and CAD mortality. Age-related risk patterns differ in men and women. It is uncertain whether standard factors may index CAD risk, including mortality, in different ways and/or whether specific factors might be targeted gender-wise. A list might be compiled: HDL-cholesterol levels, higher in pre-menopausal women than in men, are more strictly related to CAD; high triglycerides and Lp(a) have a similar relationship; HDL-cholesterol levels have an inverse relation with CAD incidence and mortality. The role of statins is not completely defined in primary prevention for women. However, in secondary prevention statins are equally effective in both genders. Weight and glycemic control are effective to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in women from middle to older age. Similarly, CVD mortality in women, from middle to older age, might be reduced by controlling blood pressure, particularly among diabetic or over weighted women. Renal dysfunction, either defined by UAE or eGFR or both may usefully predict primary CVD incidence and risk in both genders. In secondary prediction, kidney dysfunction predicts sudden death in women when left ventricular ejection fraction is also evaluated. Serum uric acid that normally increases with age, differentiates gender-related CVD incidences with a peculiar importance in women as compared to men. There has been much interest to investigate loss of ovarian function in explaining age-related differences between genders. More recently, some emphasis has been laid on the loss of ovarian function-related iron stores. There are subgroups of women as those with mitral valve prolapse and increased circulating levels of catecholamines in whom QT interval, physiologically longer in women than men, may be an arrhythmogenic risk index. However, no large population-based studies were ever conducted to assess this. Therefore, in the future, it will be important to implement risk score instruments (charts and softwares) in women using novel parameters, and among these inflammatory markers and reproductive hormones and serum uric acid. The important results of the WHO MONICA Project confirmed the northern versus southern European gradient in both men and women, for death rates and the proportion of all deaths from cardiovascular causes (including CAD, stroke and other CVD causes). The coronary event rate was initially as high as 1, 000 per 100, 000 inhabitants in Finland and less than 1 fifth of that in Spain with the corresponding figures in women of 200 and 30, respectively. No doubt might still exist that all efforts need be undertaken for both men and women, for health and prolongation of life to effectively treat common risk factors such as cigarette consumption, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels and physical inactivity by also paying attention to optimal diet.

Ignorance of cardiovascular preventive measures is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the French general population

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of premature death in Western countries. To assess the effect of patient ignorance of CVD risk modifiers on mortality. We studied 4930men and women in primary prevention, who consulted at the Department of Preventive Cardiology of a university hospital in France from 1995 to 2011. Questionnaires on socioeconomic level, medical history, cardiovascular risk factors, knowledge of CVD, drug intake, lifestyle and dietary recommendations, and adherence to treatments were administered by trained medical staff. Vital status (cause and date of death, in patients who died) was obtained through the French National Database. Multivariable predictive relationships with total mortality were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Mean follow-up was 8.6years; 123deaths, including 31cardiovascular deaths, were recorded. Overall, 1305patients (26%) were ignorant of CVD preventive measures; their mean age (53years) was similar to that of the non-ignorant population, but most were men with a low educational level, a higher body mass index and significantly more cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, hypertension). The ignorant group's lifestyle did not conform to cardiovascular guidelines, with less physical activity and more frequent inappropriate diet and smoking. All-cause and cardiovascular mortalities were higher among these patients. In the multivariable analysis, after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, diabetes, hypertension, body mass index and educational status, ignorance of CVD preventive measures remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.93, 95% confidence interval 1.31-2.83; P<0.01). Ignorance of cardiovascular risk modifiers was significantly associated with all-cause mortality in a general French population.

Statin adherence and risk of acute cardiovascular events among women: a cohort study accounting for time-dependent confounding affected by previous adherence

ObjectivesPrevious studies on the effect of statin adherence on cardiovascular events in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease have adjusted for time-dependent confounding, but potentially introduced bias into their estimates...