Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both men and women. However, significant differences in diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcomes have been observed between the two sexes.
The Issue in Scientific Studies
Historically, women have been underrepresented in clinical trials on cardiovascular disease; nearly two-thirds of these studies involve male participants only.
As a result, medical and scientific teams extrapolate findings obtained from men to women, even though women have distinct physiological and hormonal characteristics that change throughout their lives.
Things Need to Change
In the era of personalized medicine, it is now essential to consider both sex and gender in patient care.
Contrary to popular belief that cancer is the leading cause of mortality in women, the reality is quite different: heart disease has been the number one killer of women in North America for more than 30 years.
Newly recognized, so-called non-traditional risk factors are currently being studied, as they appear to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Examples include:
- women who have received chest radiotherapy may develop valvular or coronary disease;
- women diagnosed with preeclampsia or gestational diabetes have a fourfold increased risk of developing these same risk factors later and a twofold increased risk of cardiovascular disease;
- women who have undergone solid-organ transplantation and are on immunosuppressive therapy are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease;
- peri-menopausal women, whether or not they receive hormone replacement therapy, may develop cardiovascular disease if treatment is prescribed or managed inadequately;
- women living with depression and undergoing treatment;
- women who have received chemotherapy for uterine cancer.
The Need for CardioF
The CardioF Clinic, established on January 28, 2021, aims to assess and follow women who develop conditions specific to female cardiovascular health.
The clinic adopts a holistic approach, evaluating women as a whole, according to their life trajectory and their own risk factors.
Research is also conducted to better understand the symptoms, pathophysiology, and treatments specific to women with cardiovascular disease, as well as the non-traditional risk factors associated with their life experiences.
Certain Conditions Affect Women More
Some cardiovascular conditions are more frequently observed in women, including:
- microvascular disease (small-vessel disease) — INOCA, MINOCA;
- stress cardiomyopathy (Takotsubo syndrome);
- spontaneous coronary arteryThe two coronary arteries, the right and the left, form the blood network that supplies the heart with oxygen and nutrients. They are located directly on the surface of the heart and branch into smaller vessels that dissection (SCAD).
Other Factors to Consider
In a culturally diverse and multiethnic population such as that of Montréal, Quebec, Canada, it is also possible to study societal, ethnic, and environmental factors that may influence the development of heart disease in women.
Une référence en devenir
Grâce à ses services cliniques, ses activités de sensibilisation et ses initiatives de recherche, CardioF aspire à devenir un centre de référence en santé cardiaque des femmes.
Des activités de sensibilisation destinées au grand public sont organisées deux fois par an, ainsi que des activités de formation pour les professionnels de la santé dans le cadre du symposium annuel. Les détails de ces événements sont disponibles sur le site CardioF.ca.
L’ensemble de ces actions, combinées à l’innovation, constitue la mission fondamentale de CardioF.
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