Sex differences in risk factors for coronary artery disease and stroke in men and women aged 45–65 years

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke both result from atherosclerosis. Risk factor profiles for CAD and stroke have been reported to differ between middle-aged men and women. OBJECTIVE: To compare, for men and women aged 45-65 years, between risk factor profiles for CAD and stroke. METHODS: This is a retrospective study based on the medical records of 179 women and 270 men diagnosed with CAD, and 114 women and 190 men diagnosed with stroke, hospitalised in one of two medical centres in Jerusalem. We assessed and compared the number of metabolic risk factors (diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia) presenting among men and women between the CAD and stroke groups. RESULTS: Among patients with CAD, significantly more women than men presented with diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia. In contrast, no statistically significant differences were observed between genders in the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia among the stroke patients. Hypertension was more prevalent in both men and women among stroke patients than CAD patients. In the stroke group, 29.1% of the women compared with 14.2% of the men presented with the three metabolic risk factors investigated. CONCLUSIONS: In a middle-aged population, CAD risk factor profiles differed between genders while stroke risk factor profiles did not.