The hidden burden of cardiovascular risk in working women

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women, yet female-specific and psychosocial risk determinants are inconsistently integrated into preventive strategies. We describe traditional and female-specific risk factors in female hospital employees. Methods In this single-centre, cross-sectional, exploratory study, 111 women aged 34–70 years (nursing, administrative, medical staff) underwent standardised occupational health assessment of lipids, lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), reproductive history and well-being (WHO-5 Well-Being Index). Voluntary participation may have caused selection bias. Results Dyslipidemia was present in 58.6%, hypertension and prediabetes each in 15.3%, and obesity in 14.4%. Median Lp(a) was 20 mg/dl (interquartile range, IQR, 20–65 mg/dl), with 27.9% showing values ≥50 mg/dl. NT-proBNP exceeded 125 pg/ml in 11.7% and correlated with age (ρ = 0.23, p = 0.015). Of 90 participants with at least one pregnancy, 25.3% reported complications. Body mass index (BMI) correlated with HbA1c (r = 0.33, p < 0.001; a possible non-linear BMI–well-being association was non-significant. Among 103 women aged 40–65 years with coronary artery calcium (CAC) data, 22 (21.4%) had CAC > 0 and were older, more often postmenopausal and hypertensive, with higher NT-proBNP. Conclusion In this exploratory cohort, traditional and female-specific risk factors were prevalent, and a substantial minority already showed subclinical coronary calcification. These findings support prospective evaluation of whether integrating reproductive history, female-specific biomarkers and psychosocial assessment improves risk stratification; causal or predictive conclusions cannot be drawn.