Women's cardiovascular risk before and after menopause: A red alert for heart attack!

Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death in women, 16 times more frequent than breast cancer, and with more and more young women at risk. Young women are exposed to serial loss of chance, related to sex, with specific female hormonal cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF): contraception, pregnancy and menopause; and to gender: atypic symptoms, underestimation, poor risk-factor control, undertreatment and lack of follow-up, and specific atheromatous disease. Prevalence and impact of risk factors differ between males and females. At a given age, women show more CVRFs than men. This is due to negative lifestyle changes, with increasing smoking, stress, obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Some CVRFs such as hypertension, smoking, stress and diabetes have more severe arterial impact in women than men. Psychosocial factors are emerging risk factors, especially in younger women. Specific hormonal risk is linked to contraception, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, age at menarche, hysterectomy and menopause. Moreover, classic CV risk scores are not adapted to women. An aggressive approach to CVRF management is essential for primary prevention of CV disease, using specific guidelines. Health professionals should conduct earlier personalized screening for women at risk and should encourage appropriate lifestyle changes. The gyneco-cardiology healthcare pathway is a real opportunity to improve cardiovascular prevention in women.