Coronary artery disease in premenopausal Indian women: risk factors and angiographic profile.

ABSTRACT

Coronary angiographic and clinical profile of 47 premenopausal women presenting with myocardial infarction (MI) or angina is presented. Seventeen patients (36%) had significant obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) (Group I), while 30 (64%) had normal coronaries (Group II). The latter group included 4 who had MI and 26 who presented with angina. Risk factors in Group I included hypertension (53%), diabetes mellitus (24%), hypercholesterolemia (29%), oral contraceptives and a positive family history (11.8%). Frequency of one, two and three vessel disease was 47%, 18% and 35% respectively. The left anterior descending artery was most commonly affected (82%). In Group II the risk factors included hypertension (17%) and diabetes (7%). No patient in either group was a smoker. This analysis shows that significant obstructive CAD in premenopausal Indian females is more commonly associated with hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Smoking was not encountered and ingestion of contraceptive pills is uncommon.