Keele Research Repository

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in women, with the event rates particularly rising in young women. Women are disproportionately affected by traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension compared with men. In addition to standard risk factors, there are many risk factors that are either female predominant, such as autoimmune conditions and psychological stressors, or female specific, such as hormonal changes, throughout the course of a lifetime and pregnancy-related issues. Among the most important risk factors specific to women are conditions occurring during pregnancy and history related to fertility and gynecologic conditions. The value of such history has become more apparent in recent literature, however the translation of this knowledge to clinical practice has been poor. The importance of recognizing specific obstetric and gynecologic conditions and the specific conditions to screen for are the focus of this discussion.