Background: It is a myth that ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a man’s disease. Angina is a frequent complaint amongst women visiting medical outpatient departments. It is a distinct entity which is poorly understood and misdiagnosed due to vague symptoms. It is thought to be microvascular in origin, usually stable and often associated with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction (ED).

Aims and Objectives: Were to study the gender differences in risk profiles and to explore novel female specific/ nontraditional risk factors (RF) / comorbid conditions in angina patients which could  not only help in its identification but also provide new insights into the pathophysiology of angina in women.

Material and Methods: 445 consecutive patients of angina from OPDs of two tertiary hospitals of Punjab and Himachal were included.

Results: Males /Females were 20% /80%.  SLE, hypothyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, migraine, hysterectomy, PCOS, ulcerative colitis, asthma and anemia were most common associations found in women especially in age group between 31-40 yrs. The traditional RF were more frequent beyond the age of 40. Smoking, alcoholism and diabetes were more common in males. Stroke, Pulmonary and, renal disease, fatty liver, hyperuricemia, aortic stenosis, stress and viral infections were other comorbidities present in  both sexes. Thus unconventional RF should be looked for in females with angina especially younger ones which may be associated with coronary inflammation and ED.

Keywords: Angina, Women, Non Traditional Risk factors.

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Dr Harharpreet Kaur

Professor Medicine, MM Medical College, Kumarhatti, Distt. Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India