Feasibility and Utility of a Cardiovascular Risk Screening Tool in Women Undergoing Routine Gynecology Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Public Health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in women.
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) such as gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia are linked to future CVD risk.
• Patient awareness of cardiovascular risk factors is often suboptimal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and symptoms in women attending outpatient OB/GYN clinics.
• To assess patient awareness of these risk factors.
• To examine the association between a history of APO and the prevalence of cardiovascular risks and symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter survey of 2,946 female patients across 16 US OB/GYN clinics.
• Data collected between January 2010 and January 2012.
• Outcome measures included self-reported cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, obesity) and symptoms (angina, dyspnea).

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular risks and symptoms were highly prevalent (86.0% and 40.1%, respectively).
• A significant proportion of patients lacked awareness of common risk factors (e.g., hypertension 18.4%, hypercholesterolemia 32.0%, diabetes 17.9%).
• Women with a history of APO (12.9% of cohort) were more likely to have cardiovascular risk factors (89.5% vs. 83.9%) and symptoms (45.5% vs. 39.3%) compared to those without APO history.

Conclusions:

• Patient awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and symptoms in this OB/GYN population was poor.
• Women with a history of APO demonstrated higher prevalence of cardiovascular risks and symptoms.
• Cardiovascular risk assessment is feasible in OB/GYN settings, offering opportunities for early detection and intervention.