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Published on: November 10, 2017
Addressing cardiovascular disease in women: focus on dyslipidemia
1Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-4283, USA. emma@spirit.gcrc.upenn.edu
Insights
Lipid-modifying drugs benefit women with cardiovascular disease risk as much as men. Treatment should focus beyond LDL-C to include HDL-C and triglycerides for better coronary risk reduction in women.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Women's Health
- Lipidology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment in women requires improved diagnostic and treatment strategies.
- Emerging evidence-based guidelines highlight the need for focused CVD prevention in women.
- Dyslipidemia is a key modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current literature on treating cardiovascular disease and cholesterol disorders in women.
- To evaluate the efficacy of lipid-modifying therapies in women compared to men.
- To identify optimal lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction in women.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of Medline, focusing on randomized controlled trials of lipid therapy.
- Review of current dyslipidemia treatment guidelines.
- Analysis of subgroup data from primary and secondary prevention trials.
Main Results:
- Lipid-modifying drugs demonstrate comparable benefits for women and men in both primary and secondary CVD prevention.
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a primary target, but not the sole determinant of coronary risk in women.
- Changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride levels are more predictive of coronary risk in women than LDL-C or total cholesterol.
Conclusions:
- Therapeutic strategies for women should extend beyond LDL-C reduction to address HDL-C and triglyceride levels.
- Considering treatments that improve the overall lipid profile is crucial for effective CVD risk management in women.
- Sex-specific differences in lipid profiles necessitate tailored approaches to lipid management for cardiovascular health in women.
Background:
There is a need to better diagnose and treat women who may be at risk for cardiovascular disease. This is emphasized by the impending release of evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. Dyslipidemia is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and is the focus of the current literature review.
Methods:
Medical literature on treating cardiovascular disease and cholesterol disorders in women was reviewed by searching Medline, including a selective search for randomized controlled clinical trials of lipid therapy. In addition, current dyslipidemia treatment guidelines were reviewed.
Results And Conclusions:
Subgroup analyses of both primary and secondary prevention trials have shown that lipid-modifying drugs offer benefits to women comparable with those seen in men. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary target of lipid-modifying therapy for the reduction of coronary risk. However, there are differences between the sexes in the lipid profile that may have clinical implications. In women, changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride levels are better predictors of coronary risk than LDL-C or total cholesterol. Thus, treatment beyond LDL-C may be of greater importance in women than in men. Furthermore, treatment options that provide improvement in all aspects of the lipid profile should be considered.
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