The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - Chapter 7: Sex, Gender, and the Social Determinants of Health.

Women vs men have major differences in terms of risk-factor profiles, social and environmental factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Women are more likely than men to experience health issues that are complex and multifactorial, often relating to disparities in access to care, risk-factor prevalence, sex-based biological differences, gender-related factors, and sociocultural factors. Furthermore, awareness of the intersectional nature and relationship of sociocultural determinants of health, including sex and gender factors, that influence access to care and health outcomes for women with cardiovascular disease remains elusive.

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - Chapter 9: Summary of Current Status, Challenges, Opportunities, and Recommendations.

This final chapter of the Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance "ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women" presents ATLAS highlights from the perspective of current status, challenges, and opportunities in cardiovascular care for women. We conclude with 12 specific recommendations for actionable next steps to further the existing progress that has been made in addressing these knowledge gaps by tackling the remaining outstanding disparities in women's cardiovascular care, with the goal to improve outcomes for women in Canada.

The Development of a Chest-Pain Protocol for Women Presenting to the Emergency Department.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women worldwide, and of premature death in women in Canada. Despite improvements in cardiovascular care over the past 15-20 years, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and CVD mortality continue to increase among women in Canada. Chest pain is a common symptom leading to emergency department visits for both men and women.

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - Chapter 8: Knowledge Gaps and Status of Existing Research Programs in Canada.

Despite significant progress in medical research and public health efforts, gaps in knowledge of women's heart health remain across epidemiology, presentation, management, outcomes, education, research, and publications. Historically, heart disease was viewed primarily as a condition in men and male individuals, leading to limited understanding of the unique risks and symptoms that women experience. These knowledge gaps are particularly problematic because globally heart disease is the leading cause of death for women.

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance Atlas on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - Chapter 6: Sex- and Gender-Specific Diagnosis and Treatment.

This chapter summarizes the sex- and gender-specific diagnosis and treatment of acute/unstable presentations and nacute/stable presentations of cardiovascular disease in women. Guidelines, scientific statements, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and primary research studies related to diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), valvular heart disease, and heart failure in women were reviewed. The evidence is summarized as a narrative, and when available, sex- and gender-specific practice and research recommendations are provided.

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance Atlas on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - Chapter 5: Sex- and Gender-Unique Manifestations of Cardiovascular Disease.

This Atlas chapter summarizes sex- and some gender-associated, and unique aspects and manifestations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. CVD is the primary cause of premature death in women in Canada and numerous sex-specific differences related to symptoms and pathophysiology exist. A review of the literature was done to identify sex-specific differences in symptoms, pathophysiology, and unique manifestations of CVD in women.

Reduction of dietary sodium to less than 100 mmol in heart failure (SODIUM-HF): an international, open-label, randomised, controlled trial.

Background: Dietary restriction of sodium has been suggested to prevent fluid overload and adverse outcomes for patients with heart failure. We designed the Study of Dietary Intervention under 100 mmol in Heart Failure (SODIUM-HF) to test whether or not a reduction in dietary sodium reduces the incidence of future clinical events.

Methods: SODIUM-HF is an international, open-label, randomised, controlled trial that enrolled patients at 26 sites in six countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and New Zealand).

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women-Chapter 2: Scope of the Problem.

Background: This Atlas chapter summarizes the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women in Canada, discusses sex and gender disparities, and examines the intersectionality between sex and other factors that play a prominent role in CVD outcomes in women, including gender, indigenous identity, ethnic variation, disability, and socioeconomic status.

Methods: CVD is the leading cause of premature death in Canadian women. Coronary artery disease, including myocardial infarction, and followed by stroke, accounts for the majority of CVD-related deaths in Canadian women.

Introducing the Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance ATLAS on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Cardiovascular Diseases in Women.

Despite a global understanding that indicators and outcomes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are known to differ between men and women, uptake of the recognition of sex and gender influences on the clinical care of women has been slow or absent. The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance (CWHHA) was established as a network of experts and advocates to develop and disseminate evidence-informed strategies to transform clinical practice and augment collaborative action on women's cardiovascular health in Canada. As an initial project, the CWHHA membership undertook an environmental scan of CVD in women in Canada from which a scientific statement could be developed to summarize critical sex- and gender-specific issues in CVD.

Usefulness of statin-ezetimibe combination to reduce the care gap in dyslipidemia management in patients with a high risk of atherosclerotic disease.

Lowering of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is a fundamental step in the comprehensive management of patients at high risk for cardiovascular events. The combination of a statin with ezetimibe usually provides additional LDL cholesterol lowering compared to statin monotherapy. This open-label observational study evaluated the impact of a 26-week treatment program with uptitration of statin dosages and incorporation of ezetimibe 10 mg therapy in 2,577 men and women (median age 64 years) with hypercholesterolemia and an LDL cholesterol level >2.

Efficacy and safety of chitosan HEP-40 in the management of hypercholesterolemia: a randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial.

Unlabelled: Hypercholesterolemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Objective: To compare the efficacy of a 12-week treatment regimen with HEP-40 low-molecular weight chitosan given at daily doses of 1,200 mg, 1,600 mg, and 2,400 mg in reducing serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with low-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia.

Design: The study was a 16-week, multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized study.

Bedtime administration of graded-release diltiazem in patients with inadequate BP control: a tolerability and efficacy study.

Background: Achievement of target BP is a challenge in patients attending family practice. The long duration between administration of the last bedtime dose of antihypertensive medication and the physiologic early morning surge in BP makes it difficult to achieve satisfactory BP control.

Objective: To determine whether a new graded-release preparation of diltiazem (diltiazem XC), taken once daily at bedtime, will show an acceptable adverse-effect profile as well as improved BP control.

Supporting a call to action for peripheral artery disease: insights from two prospective clinical registries.

Background: Patients affected by peripheral arterial disease (PAD) incur a heightened risk of adverse cardiovascular events, including stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular mortality. We examined risk factors, medications, and prognosis of outpatients with PAD enrolled in two national, prospective, practice-based Canadian registries that encompassed 484 physician practices: the Vascular Protection and Guideline Oriented Approach in Lipid Lowering registries.

Methods: The 2 registries were combined to analyze 9810 patients with vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or age 65 years or older plus at least 2 additional cardiovascular risk factors.

Contemporary management of dyslipidemia in high-risk patients: targets still not met.

Purpose: Our objective was to evaluate treatment patterns and the attainment of current National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)-recommended lipid targets in unselected high-risk ambulatory patients.

Methods: Between December 2001 and December 2004, the prospective Vascular Protection and Guidelines Oriented Approach to Lipid Lowering Registries recruited 8056 outpatients with diabetes, established cardiovascular disease (CVD), or both, who had a complete lipid profile measured within 6 months before enrollment. The primary outcome measure was treatment success, defined as the achievement of LDL-cholesterol<2.