ATTITUDES ABOUT TREATMENT OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE AMONG WOMEN AND MEN PRESENTING FOR EXERCISE TESTING

To assess attitudes that could contribute to gender differences in the use of coronary procedures, we surveyed 322 patients presenting for e xercise testing at a major teaching hospital. Adjusting for sociodemog raphic and clinical factors, women and men did not differ significantl y in their willingness to seek a second opinion, reduce physical activ ity, or take drugs to avoid major cardiac surgery, but men were more L ikely than women to describe themselves as risk takers on a three-item personality measure (adjusted odds ratio 2.5; 95% confidence interval 1.4-4.6), Patients' attitudes about risk should be explored further i n studies of gender differences in the use of coronary procedures.