Coronary artery disease in female athletes often presents with atypical symptoms and delayed diagnoses, underscoring the need for advanced imaging and tailored, athlete-specific diagnostic algorithms.
Female athletes with CAD often present with atypical symptoms and face diagnostic delays, highlighting the need for tailored, athlete-specific diagnostic algorithms including advanced imaging.
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This case series highlights the unique presentation and diagnostic challenges of coronary artery disease (CAD) in female athletes. Despite generally lower prevalence, women may experience atypical symptoms and delays in diagnosis, often due to the under-recognition of risk and subtle clinical signs. We describe 3 cases of CAD among women during different stages of life: a postmenopausal long-distance runner with complex coronary anatomy, a postmenopausal triathlete with severe left anterior descending artery stenosis, and a young climber in her reproductive years with acute coronary syndrome. These cases underscore the importance of thorough evaluation, including advanced imaging such as coronary computed tomography angiography, and reveal how gender-specific factors, menopause, and training patterns influence CAD detection and outcomes. There is a need for tailored, athlete-specific diagnostic algorithms to ensure early identification and management of CAD in women, ultimately reducing gender disparities in cardiovascular care and improving prognosis in female athletes.
Kazum-Beisr et al. (Sun,) reported a other. Coronary artery disease in female athletes often presents with atypical symptoms and delayed diagnoses, underscoring the need for advanced imaging and tailored, athlete-specific diagnostic algorithms.