Heart disease in women: a narrative review

Cardiovascular disease is the worldwide leading cause of death in women. Biological differences between the sexes, a result of genetic, epigenetic and sex hormone-mediated factors, are complex and incompletely understood. These differences are compounded by socio-cultural factors and together account for the variation in the prevalence, presentation and natural history of cardiovascular disease between men and women. Although there is growing recognition of sex-specific determinants of outcomes, women remain under-represented in clinical trials, and sex-disaggregated diagnostic and management strategies are not currently recommended in clinical guidelines. Women remain more likely to experience delays in diagnosis, to be treated less aggressively and to have worse outcomes. As a consequence, cardiovascular disease in women remains understudied, underdiagnosed and undertreated. This review will focus on female-specific characteristics of cardiovascular disease and how these may impact on anaesthetic and peri-operative risk assessment and care. We highlight significant differences between the sexes in the natural history of cardiovascular disease, including those disease entities that are more common in women, such as sudden coronary artery dissection or microvascular dysfunction. Given the rapidly rising incidence of maternal cardiovascular disease and associated complications, special consideration is given to the risk assessment and management of these conditions during pregnancy. Increased awareness of these issues has the potential to improve the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary heart team and ultimately improve the care provided to women.