Women's Risk Factors and Screening for Coronary Heart Disease

Age, race, poverty, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obesity, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle are risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. Menstrual cycle irregularity, preeclampsia, and decreasing levels of sex hormones in postmenopausal women are also implicated. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend routine CHD risk stratification using nontraditional markers (e.g., lipoprotein(a), Ankle‐Brachial Index [ABI], and inflammatory markers). Nurses should counsel all women regarding lifestyle behaviors to reduce CHD risk.