Cardiovascular risk factors in mid age women with acute coronary syndromes

Background: In Chile, 40% of deaths due to acute myocardial infraction occu r in women. Aim: To assess the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in w omen with acute coronary syndromes. Patients and methods. Thirty four women aged 46 to 55 years old, admitted to the hospital due to an acute coronary syndrome and 102 age matched healthy women were studied. A clinical histor y was obtained, blood pressure and fasting serum lipids were measured. Resu lts: A history of high blood pressure was present in 65 and 16% of patients and healthy controls respectively. Seventy seven percent of patients and 3 6% of controls smoked, 76% of patients and 48% of controls were postmenopau sal. 21% of patients an 5% of controls were diabetic. In patients and contr ols respectively serum total cholesterol was 230.1 +/- 36.2 and 211.2 +/-3. 18 mg/dl, serum triacylglycerol was 213.4 +/- 109.4 and 143.2 +/- 76.9 mg/d l and serum HDL Cholesterol was 44.1 +/- 10.8 and 49.8 +/- 13.3 mg/dl (p <0 .001 or less). In univariate analysis, the risk of acute coronary syndrome increased with high blood pressure (OR: 9.3, CI 2.5-18.6), menopause (OR: 8 .3, CI: 2.2-31:5), smoking (OR: 6.9, CI 2.5-18.6), diabetes mellitus (OR: 5 .0, CI: 1.4-17.5), a high total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio (OR: 6.6, CI 1.8-12.5) and hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 3.6, CI 1.5-8.5). Logistic regr ession. analysis showed that hypertension and menopause bad the higher pred ictive values for acute coronary syndrome. Conclusions: In this group of wo men with acute coronary syndromes, the main coronary risk factors were high blood pressure and menopause.